Coveting The Joneses'?

Our Thoughts:

I know all of us are aware of the statement, "they are trying to keep up with the Joneses." This is a type of coveting. People often get into debt, just to try and out do the Joneses*. They see the neighbor perhaps buy a new car, or riding lawnmower with 'a name', and they go out and do the same, although they know that their budget won't allow it.

Oh, don't get me wrong; there's nothing wrong with purchasing a new car, or anything else, for that matter. It's the reasons behind the purchase that might be a type of coveting. To covet means 'to wish for longingly'. I've heard people make the statement that 'they have a new car, and I guess I'll have to go buy me a new one to out do them.' If your neighbor buys a new tractor of a well known dealer, you see it, and decide, "I'll go buy a larger one and be ahead of him". That is coveting! You might pass it off as a 'want'......but it's not a healthy want. Remember, when you purchase something that you can't afford, you are touching on dangerous ground. The neighbor has probably saved for years to buy that new tractor; they just didn't stop to advise you of their intentions.

God's Thoughts: