Thanksgiving, the Antidote to Covetousness

Any way you number them, the Ten Commandments end with a warning against covetousness—a sin the Scriptures call a form of idolatry: “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). This final commandment is not merely a miscellaneous add-on at the end of the list. It reaches back and touches nearly all the others. Coveting your neighbor’s house overlaps with the commandment against stealing; coveting your neighbor’s spouse overlaps with the commandment against adultery; and coveting anything that belongs to your neighbor touches on the commandment against bearing false witness, because jealousy breeds the kind of resentments that destroy another’s good name.

More deeply, Scripture insists that every sin against the commandments is, at heart, a sin against the First Commandment: “You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3). Covetousness is idolatry because it enthrones our desires above God. The desire to possess your neighbor’s wealth, opportunities, relationships, or reputation reveals a heart that does not fully fear, love, or trust in God above all things. It reveals dissatisfaction with the good gifts God has already placed in your hands. A covetous heart whispers that God has been unfair, that He has given others better blessings, that He is holding out on you. And from this poisoned root grow bitter fruits—jealousy, resentment, and even quiet hostility toward one’s neighbor and one’s God.

If covetousness is the disease, thanksgiving is the antidote. Gratitude is the deliberate choice to look at what is rather than what isn’t; to count gifts instead of cataloguing grievances. It shifts the heart from entitlement to amazement. You cannot give thanks for God’s provision and, at the same time, resent what He has given to someone else.

As our nation pauses this month for the Thanksgiving holiday, it’s worth remembering that gratitude is more than a ritual before a turkey dinner. It is a discipline that shapes our character. Thankfulness produces contentment, steadiness, and peace. It guards against the restless comparison that drives so much of our modern anxiety. It puts pride, greed, and envy in their proper place. And it reminds us that the God who gave us life, breath, and daily bread has not failed us yet.

In a season when advertisements insist we need more, bigger, newer, and better, the Ten Commandments offer a surprisingly countercultural word: Give thanks for what you already have. That posture, more than anything money can buy, brings real freedom—and genuine joy.

Rev. Jon M. Ellingworth, Pastor
St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church – Waverly, IA