Desire vs. Peace
Lenten Devotional Series Day 34. Today’s meditation is on the Tenth Commandment, “You shall not covet.” Exodus 20:17.
I once read an article in which an atheist ridiculed the 10th Commandment, because, unlike the other nine, it commanded inner thoughts and desires rather than actions. What he didn’t understand was that the first nine commandments share the same problem. As we have already seen in previous posts, outward sins like murder and adultery begin in the heart too. There’s nothing new about the starting point of the 10th Commandment. Rather, it’s like a sign warning that the bridge is out. The sin that pours forth from within our hearts has washed out any way ahead paved by our own external moral righteousness. The 10th Commandment is one last barrier erected across the road, warning that peril awaits all those who continue on ahead unimpeded.
But what does it mean to blow through the barrier of the 10th Commandment? It can’t mean the prohibition of all desires. There are, of course, healthy desires—i.e. God-given desires. For example, you might notice that a colleague at work possesses a particular skill you also would benefit from having. There’s nothing wrong with desiring this skill in order to become a better employee. Desire in and of itself is not the result of sin; it’s a natural part of the way God made us.
So what is the 10th Commandment prohibiting? Inordinate desires. There are two ways to know when our desires have become “inordinate.” First, whenever they cause us to break one of the other nine commandments. Second, whenever they lead to resentment—with neighbors and/or with God.
It’s challenging not to grieve a neighbor’s good fortune living anywhere, but especially in a cosmopolitan setting like Washington, DC. In a culture where influence is ranked according to degrees, titles, and connections, it’s virtually impossible to coexist without comparison. Even within the church, we can covet others for their gifts, roles, marital status or children. These things, in turn, easily become idols in our life, as we start to exalt them in our minds and hearts. In the end, we despise our neighbors for what they have, and despise God for what he has kept from us.
Which brings me back to the article I mentioned above. There’s yet another, deeper reason why the atheist was mistaken regarding the 10th Commandment: God wants us to have his peace. God’s peace is infinitely richer than the securities of this world. This sort of peace is incompatible with a heart that obsesses over the belongings or status or gifts of another person. Government laws stop at action (e.g. every civil society forbids stealing). But God’s law goes further because of the overwhelming love he has for his people. In the 10th Commandment, God calls us to cherish his gifts, rather than poison our peace by coveting our neighbor’s possessions. Thanks be to God that we have a Father who cares—not only about externals, but also our inner, personal peace.
Today in prayer, begin with the Collect of the Day (below). Then review your desires, and consider whether any of them have led to sin or resentment. Ask God to bring to light any covetous desires that destroy peace between God and neighbor, and confess them to him. Give thanks to the Lord for the ways that he has blessed you, and ask him to fill your heart with satisfaction in him. Then finish with the Lord’s Prayer.
Collect of the Day. Almighty God, we ask you mercifully to look upon your people; that by your great goodness they may be governed and preserved for ever, both in body and soul, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.