A Common Sin

"There is a sin which a Catholic priest once declared that no one had ever confessed to him-a sin so deadly that the wrath of God comes upon men because of it; a sin so common that probably everybody has at some time been guilty of it; a sin so gross in the sight of God as to be classed with whoremongery, idolatry, murder, and such like; a sin so subtle that men most guilty of it seem to be most unconscious of it; a sin that has led to the ruin of homes, to the doom of cities, the downfall of kings, the overthrow of empires, the collapse of civilizations, the damnation of an apostle, of ministers of the Gospel and of millions of less conspicuous men. Men in the highest and most sacred positions of trust, and enjoying the most unlimited confidence of their fellow-men, have under the spell of this sin wrecked their good names, and have brought shame to their families, and misfortune, want, and woe to their fellows.

When amid the thunderings and lightnings of Mt. Sinai, God gave the ten commandments to Moses, one of the ten was against this sin. When Lot lost all he had in the doom of Sodom and Gomorrah, it was primarily because of this sin. When Achan and his household were stoned, it was because of this sin. When Eli and his sons lost the priesthood and died miserably, it was at root because of this sin. When Saul lost his kingdom, it was because this sin had subtly undermined his loyalty to God. When Ahab died and the dogs licked his blood, he was meeting the doom of this sin. When David fell from heights of God’s tender favor and fellowship, and brought shame and confusion upon himself, and incurred God’s hot displeasure and life-long trouble, it was because of this sin.

When Elisha’s servant, Gehazi, went out from the presence of the prophet smitten with leprosy white as snow, it was because of this sin. When Judas betrayed the Master with a kiss, thus bringing upon himself the death of a dog and a fool, it was because of this sin. When Ananias and Sapphira dropped dead at Peter’s feet, they suffered the dread penalty of this sin. The beginnings of many wars could be traced to the deadly workings of this awful, secret, silent, pitiless sin.

But what is the sin that the Catholic priest never heard mentioned in his confessional-this sin that apostles and priests and shepherds and servants have committed, and upon which the swift, fierce lightnings of God’s wrath have fallen- this sin of which everyone at sometime has probably been guilty and yet which is so secret and subtle that those most enthralled by it are most unconscious of it? It is the sin of Covetousness. --S. M. Bengle

Covetousness usually appears in our lives in wanting something good. "I sure could use that." "Wouldn't that save me lots of time." "I deserve that. I work hard." "Think of how much use I would get out of this." Covetousness is so dangerous because we are go good at hiding it with justifiable excuses.

But Jesus said, "Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”” (Luke 12:15). The psalmist prayed, “Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain!” (Psalm 119:36. Now there is nothing wrong with having wealth or with retaining it as long as it was procured by honest means and preserved with the right motive. God is indeed the one who gives wealth (Deuteronomy 8:18) and we should give him thanks for what we receive, however we also ought to heed God’s Word which says, “If riches increase, set not your heart on them.” (Psalm 62:10)."

How are you most vulnerable to covetousness as you examine your life?