Number Eight

“Thou shalt not steal.”

The command against stealing is yet another that seems obvious but there is more to it than meets the eye. We are aware that theft, larceny, robbery and any such activity is against this instruction from God. Those of us that go to church have heard on a nigh weekly basis Malachi 3:8-11. Commitment to returning tithe is a vital part of building faith in God. We have multiple examples of the patriarchs returning tithe (Genesis 14:20; 28:22; Deuteronomy 14: 22; Hebrews 7:5,9) and God fulfilling His promise to bless them. The tithe is a fixed amount – ten percent – however; we are also admonished to give a liberal offering (Numbers 29:39; 2 Corinthians 9:7) for different purposes such as, building and sustaining the church (Exodus 36:3-7; 2 Kings 12:4-14) or helping the widows and orphans among our numbers (1 Timothy 5:16). Neglecting these is a clear act of robbing God. God could easily send what is needed from heaven to fulfil His work, but as a tool for our salvation we are called to sacrifice (Romans 12:1).

However, we can be guilty of stealing a wide range of things beyond money, such as, stationery supplies from work, other peoples’ time, or even the affections of others. These are more subtle and we often don’t consider the real repercussions of these actions. Supplies from work may seem trivial but the smallest act of unfaithfulness is indicative of one’s character. The life of sin occurs gradually, beginning with the small indiscretions, which stand as excuses for larger ones. Scripture admonishes us to be vigilant (1 Peter 5:8) because there is an enemy working solely for our destruction.

What of time? How often do we steal time, by being late, or unprepared or just forgetting an appointment? We steal God’s time when we neglect the true purpose of the Sabbath. We also steal God’s time when we neglect prayer and study. He gives us 24 hours in a day and 7 days in the week. He asks specifically for one 24 hour period at the end of the week, but, as with tithe and offering, for our sake, He asks us to give a bit more willingly, that He can give us strength to sustain us each day (Psalms 55:17, Psalm 119:164, Daniel 6:10). Many of us neglect daily devotion for selfish reasons – 30 minutes more sleep, 1 hour more television – or because of improper planning – food needs the be prepared, children need to be dressed, household chores need to be done. Sometimes we even get all of these things done but because of intemperance in our work and rest we sit to read or kneel to pray then wake up 1 hour later not gaining anything from the time we should have spent with God.

We also steal time from each other. With the office supplies we steal time from our employers, spending work hours socializing with co-workers, or scrolling through social media. Being chronically late for work or appointments or unprepared for class or presentations, all these steal a bit of a person’s time and life. In scripture we have been promised prominence and great responsibility if we are diligent in our work (Proverbs 22:29). However, there is an even graver theft, with eternal consequences is, every time we neglect to share a word of hope with someone we take away time they could have had knowing their Saviour (2 Timothy 4:2).

As we discussed in the previous post, interpersonal relationships are a part of God’s will for our lives. Marriage was created by God for our benefit and it is His will that we participate in this institution. However, initiating a relationship outside of His will is to our own detriment. Some individuals act insidiously to gain the affection of others alienating them from their families. Many feel the desire to be in a relationship and oftentimes neglect principles and responsibilities to achieve this goal. Some relationships result in rifts between an individual and his or her family because the chosen partner does not share the same foundational values. This is stealing of a most treacherous form. Though we are admonished to leave father and mother and cleave to spouse (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:5) we still have a responsibility to those who gave us life and supplied us with our guiding principles (Exodus 20:12, Mark 7:9-13). When engaging in such long-term relationships it is vital that we know who we are, where we stand and honour the will of God in the attachments we form.

In Love