6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. (Genesis 3:6 NIV)
In the early 1900s, a reporter interviewed a wealthy billionaire—one of the richest people in the world. She asked, “Are you content yet? How much money do you need?” He said, “Just a little bit more.”
If that sounds unbelievable—a billionaire needing still more to be content—what happened in the Garden of Eden was even more inexplicable. Adam and Eve didn’t just have billions of dollars. They had everything. A perfect relationship with God. A perfect relationship with each other. All their needs and cares and wants perfectly met in the Garden of Eden. Lots of different trees from which to pick beautiful, juicy fruits. And yet, the devil convinced them of something: They needed just a little bit more.
When I was a child, I wondered why there are two commandments about coveting—the 9th and 10th Commandments. Coveting didn’t seem as bad as murder or adultery or stealing. It is! Coveting was the root of that first sin in the Garden of Eden, and it’s been the root of countless sins since. Coveting kills. It kills contentment. It kills gratitude for God’s blessings. It kills faith. Coveting kills! What has the devil convinced you that you need a little bit more of? What are you holding out for before you’re content?
Here’s something amazing: Jesus could have had anything he wanted here on earth: Wealth. Power. Success. Fun. Do you know what Jesus chose? Do you know what Jesus desired more than anything else? You! So he set aside every personal pleasure and gave himself for you, to save you and forgive you and love you. To bring you back to God. Before you reach for that forbidden fruit, before you give in to the temptation to covet a little bit more, think of what you already have in Jesus.
Because Jesus crushes coveting with his incredible blessings. Forgiveness of sins. Peace with God. God’s presence in your heart and life every moment of every day. Heaven. Wow! Doesn’t that lead you to say, “Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you” (Psalm 73:25). You don’t need a little bit more. You already have everything you need—and more!—in Jesus.
Dear Jesus, there is nothing that compares with your mercy and grace to me. Convince me that I have everything I need in you. Amen.
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