Coveting - from a child's perspective

Coveting... the word sounds so evil to me. We have always heard THOU SHALT NOT COVET... Now you throw in greed or jealousy and they make a little more sense in our day and time. This all sparked from a conversation Luke and I had this morning while I was fixing his lunch for Bible Play School.

Me: Luke, do you want chips or yogurt with your sandwich today?
Luke: Neither Mommy.
Me: You don't want anything but a sandwich?
Luke: No I want apple juice in a box with a straw with it just like Marc Owen has in his lunch.
Me: I thought you had apple juice every day in a cup with your lunch?
Luke: I do, but I want apple juice like Marc Owen's.
Me: Lukee, you will get apple juice in a cup today.

End of discussion...... easy enough... This has been on my mind all day though. How can this coveting start at such a young tender age? It is totally natural! We as humans are designed that way..... but as we get older we learn that we should not desire for what our neighbor has. Now we just have to withhold the urge to be like our neighbor and have all the items that they have, dress our kids like they dress, drive the new cars like they drive at 16. Go on the vacations..... I could go on and on - but this is a lesson that I did not learn until I was much older. I want it to be different for my kids - I want them to learn that they must work for the things and toys they desire need. Maybe they have to behave to get a certain piece of chocolate, or even better - some days no candy at all. By all means, I do not have this nipped in the bud, but I am learning every day that it does get easier if you just have the things you need. Contentment.... Are we content with what we have? God will provide for all our needs - we just have to let Him, be dependent on Him... that is all he asks of us. Galatians 5:1 says It is for freedom that Christ has set us free, stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burned again by a yoke of slavery.


What is your slavery that you are being called to stand firm against?