How Could I?

You don't have to admit it. I already know. Every Christian faces temptations. You can't stop the birds from flying over your head, but you can keep them from building a nest in your hair.

It's that second part that recently interested me. Let's say you are tempted to take a bit of food that doesn't belong to you, because you suddenly realize that nobody would ever know. Ponder which of these two internal reactions is better:

1. "Why should I consider stealing that? God has so richly blessed me that I have plenty of food and to spare."

2. "How could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?" (cf. Genesis 39:9) 

They may both result in successfully resisting the temptation, but is one better than the other? Why, or why not?

Here's what our catechism says in question 93: "How should we guard against the sin of coveting? We should guard against the sin of coveting by learning from God's Word that, while the earthly things we are tempted to covet will pass away, we by faith in Christ already possess the riches that will never pass away."

And Question 74: "What should be our attitude toward money and goods? We should be content with what we have and remember that God, our Creator, provides us with all we need for this life because of His love for us in Jesus Christ."
Maybe you could add to those questions.