Article September 1, 1945 Issue

Completeness, Not Covetousness

HELEN DREGGE TRIPP

The commandment which reads, "Thou shalt not covet" (Ex. 20:17), presents an interesting subject for study when it is realized that covetousness is the result of a lack of understanding of God's allness and man's completeness. Mary Baker Eddy writes on page 336 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," "Allness is the measure of the infinite, and nothing less can express God." Since man reflects this allness, it follows that there is nothing outside of allness to covet.

Covetousness might be interpreted from many standpoints. Actually, covetousness is a belief of incompleteness. It may be defined as the state of desiring something which belongs to someone else. One may feel that another has more intelligence, happier companionship, more love, or a greater understanding of Science. Such thinking indicates that one needs something or someone outside of himself in order to realize completeness. This belief is erroneous, for while that which we desire may be perfectly legitimate, our desire is fulfilled as we realize that what is rightly ours man as God's reflection, already possesses. A sense of lack is always an admission of incompleteness.

To recognize our real selfhood in the face of contradictory evidence is the only way to demonstrate a more abundant sense of existence. However, we should not be so concerned with the results as with the realization of our own self-completeness as the manifestation of Mind, for this recognition and realization brings about our release from the bondage of limiting beliefs.

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