Oftentimes in my life, I have noticed that disappointment comes first. Disappointment shows up in many ways—a prayer goes unanswered (or not answered the way I thought it would be), a relationship shifts, plans change, a personal goal isn’t met, or the quiet ache of longing. It can sound like, “This isn’t what I hoped for,“ or “I didn’t think it would be like this.”
Then discontentment begins to creep in. Quietly and almost unnoticed, it sounds like, “I wish my life looked different. I wish this situation were different. I wish that person—or circumstance—was different.“ Our attention slowly shifts away from God and toward what feels missing in our own lives. Inadvertently, discontentment can grow into dissatisfaction. And dissatisfaction, if left unchecked, settles as distrust in God. Distrust may sound like, “Maybe God isn’t enough,“ or “Maybe God doesn’t love me as much as I thought,“ or “Maybe God won’t provide for me.”
When reading Genesis 3:1-6, the fall didn’t begin with eating—it began with shifting trust. God’s word was no longer trusted; God’s goodness was no longer the assumed foundation. Something else looked more promising than what God had already given. This is why Exodus 20:17 reaches so deeply beneath behavior and into the heart: “You must not covet… or anything else that belongs to your neighbor.”
In that sense, coveting often reveals distrust in everyday life. It is the quiet belief that what God has given is not enough, and what someone else has is better. Both Genesis 3 and Exodus 20 press the same underlying question into the heart: Do I trust God? When I can earnestly answer “YES!” to that question, the disappointment often melts away. Maybe a plan changed, a relationship shifted, or the goal wasn’t met, AND God is still good.
God, I choose to trust you. I believe you are good.