You shall not covet your neighbor’s house, your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant, or his maidservant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s. —Exodus 20:17

Do you like your life and enjoy it? Or do you struggle with it and wish you had a different life? Do you want to look the way someone else looks, or have someone else’s family or career? Wanting what others have is called “coveting” in the Bible, and it’s something God forbids.

You are never going to have anyone else’s life, so wanting it is a waste of time. You won’t look like someone else, either, so you might as well learn to do the best you can with what you have to work with.

When I adopted the phrase “It is what it is” into my vocabulary, it really helped me deal with reality and not waste my time being upset about things I can’t do anything about. It helps me realize I quickly need to deal with things the way they are, not the way I wish they were.

Nobody has a perfect life, and it is entirely possible that if you want someone else’s life, he or she may want someone else’s life, too. Unknown people want to be movie stars, and movie stars want privacy. Employees want to be the boss, while the boss often wishes he had less responsibility.

Contentment with life is not a feeling; it is a decision we must make. Contentment doesn’t mean we never want to see change or improvement; it simply means we’ll do the best we can with what we have and will maintain an attitude that allows us to enjoy the gift of life.

Love God Today: “Lord, I decide and declare today that I am not envious of anything that belongs to anyone else. I am content with the life You’ve given me, and I will make the most of it.”