One of the most-broken of the Ten Commandments is the last: “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”
Obviously our 21st century application would change part of the list, but think about these things:
(1) Coveting isn’t about wanting something you don’t have, it’s about wanting something that is off limits to you because it belongs to someone else.
(2) God is concerned about our desires, not just our actions.
(3) The heart cannot be filled with God (Commandment #1) while coveting what belongs to another.
(4) God’s commands guard our contentment, free us from enslaving desires, and protect us from destructive actions.
