By Michael Youssef, Ph D.  07/09/20

Are you content with how your life has turned out? Are you happy with the career path, spouse, or home you have chosen? Are you enjoying this stage of your life for the blessings you have, or do you compare yourself to others and succumb to envy and self-pity?

Most everyone experiences discontentment on occasion—that wistful wishing that life was different. Unfortunately, discontentment often leads to sin as we begin to crave something that does not belong to us and become dominated by covetousness, greed, and envy. Covetousness says, “If only I were him or her and had his or her career, spouse, and lifestyle, then I would finally be happy. If only, if only, if only . . .” But these desires only lead to self-pity and misery.

Our culture encourages the accumulation of material wealth as the answer to our misery. But Jesus tells us the opposite: “Then he said to them, ‘Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions'” (Luke 12:15). If our self-value is based on our title, net worth, or ZIP code, then we never find contentment.

Prayer: Father, help me to realize that my self-value is not based on how much money I make or where I live. Forgive me for the times I have coveted what someone else has. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor” (Exodus 20:17).