“Do not covet your neighbor’s house; do not covet your neighbor’s wife, his male or female slave, his ox, his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”
People that are slaves to the world spend the bulk of their lives comparing themselves to other people and wishing they had all of the stuff they don’t have. Because if you had their life or their stuff, your problems would go away. And you would feel as though you actually mattered.
Why do we naturally move into that mental space?
The answer is that there is a hole inside of us that desperately needs to be filled. That hole is your identity. And it’s only when that hole is filled that you can experience true contentment. Most of us just have the hole.
For some reason, we struggle with who we are versus who we think we should be. We tend to believe that if we could only have that “thing” our identity will be secured, then maybe other people would covet us. This is the driving force behind almost all motivational, productivity and self-help books and programs.
If we could be better, we’d no longer be a slave. A slave to our jobs, a slave to the clock, a slave to our past, and so on.
Throughout our lives, we have likely noticed there are two options in the world. You can either be the slave or you can be the master. And since you no longer want to be a slave, you must strive to be a master. A master of your time, a master of your life, a master of your destiny. By becoming a master, you now have authority, provision, and comfort/identity -- all the things Yeshua was tempted with in the desert.
But what if there is a secret category that runs contrary to both slave and master?
I’d argue that wrapped up in this command is all the self-help we will ever need: Be content.
This command teaches us about servanthood and stewardship, both of which are more fulfilling and more liberating than all of the tactics, strategies and advice the world can think of.
How is a servant at all different from a slave?
A servant, more specifically a bondservant, is content and values themselves because they know none of the “stuff” belongs to them, it belongs to their Master. Now, even though the servant doesn’t own the things themselves, they have full access to the wealth of the Master -- provided they are a faithful and trustworthy servant.
A slave on the other hand, is obsessed with ownership. Slaves were never allowed to even use their master’s stuff, let alone own it themselves. Slaves believe that ownership is a mark of not being a slave. Truth be told, it is the mark that you are, in fact, still a slave. In simple terms, a slave is grossly discontent and sees themselves as having no identity at all. That hole, remember?
How can you possibly know when you’ve passed from slavehood to servanthood?
Ask yourself a few questions:
Do you believe this lie: “If I own enough stuff and have enough power, I will never again be a slave.”?
Do you feel as though someone has something you should have?
If so, there are a few natural follow-up questions:
Or maybe it isn’t that you want their stuff at all. Maybe you just despise yourself enough to wish you were them. You are under the impression that you have no value whereas your neighbor has tremendous value.
Why would you think so lowly of yourself?
Is it because you have never seen your worth through your Master’s eyes?
Is it because slavery is so deeply rooted in your being that you can’t begin to break free?
How can we sum this all up?
Commandment #10: Stop wishing you were someone else, says YHVH. You are no longer a slave but a servant. Be content with what you have and if you want more responsibility, be faithful with what He has already given you.
If you believe in Yeshua the Messiah and are born again, you are a new creation. Do you understand what this means? You are free. Free to willfully submit to THE Master.
Be content. It’s time to stop thinking about what Abba can give you and turn your focus to what you can give Him.