The Third Greatest Commandment? ... Also, An Experiment in Monkery: Day 13

Monkery Update
 
I've had to modify the experiment down to two meditations per day instead of three. I've gotten really busy with various things (that weren't on the radar when I started!) and doing three a day is just unworkable. I realized that while I was doing the three daily meditations that I was losing touch with reality because it was such a shock to me when I actually had some real world responsibilities. They basically took me by surprise and I wished that I could have avoided doing them. But alas, I could not, and so I have modified the experiment so that I can tend to these real world responsibilities. I think it is a good thing that I have had to modify this experiment though.

I've been thinking for the past few days about what Jesus would have said the third greatest commandment was. I think he would have said, "Do not covet what belongs to your neighbor." 



In Mark 12:30-31 Jesus gives us the two greatest commandments, to love God with our whole being and to love our neighbors as ourselves. There are many things that will undermine our efforts to keep these two commandments, but I think covetousness is the greatest detriment. My reasoning is because when we are not content with what we have we devote ourselves to gaining the things we are coveting; we are devoting ourselves to something other than God and thus violating one of the greatest commandments. Learning to be content with what God has given us is essential to following God. I think the law was given in order to show us how to keep the two greatest commandments.


I've been wrestling with this thought also...

This is not related to what I said above about covetousness, despite how it might seem. This is a completely unrelated thought in my mind.

I've been wrestling with this thought since yesterday: Is there something that you earnestly asked God for at one point and have stopped asking since that time? If so, why? Did you hear an emphatic "NO!" like Paul did in 2 Corinthians 12:9? Or did you become cynical and assume that God's inaction on your request implied "no"? 

For me, it's usually due to cynicism on my part. I tend to believe lack of action means "no" to my request. Unless God says "no" though I don't think I should stop, but after a while it gets really hard to keep asking. I've been wrestling with these thoughts and feelings for the past few days so I thought I would share them since others might be able to relate.

So anyway, there's the emotional-mushy-mush-mush part of the post. Until next time..


- Tom