CHAPTER 4: Stealing

c HAP t E r 4

STEALING

“Do not steal your neighbor’s property by moving the ancient boundary markers set up by your ancestors.” Proverbs 22:28, NLT

This is pretty straight-forward: do not take what doesn’t belong to you. It is safe to say that most of us aren’t likely to walk into our neighbor’s home with a gun and take their belongings. However, notice Solomon mentioned that even acquiring a little extra land by moving the surveyor’s stake is wrong. Our culture tempts us to view things, not so much in terms of what is right and wrong, but in terms of what is hurtful and not hurtful.

Here are some questions to help illustrate this point:

Which is a greater sin? a.) Taking money from someone whose need is so great that they will definitely notice it is gone. b.) Taking money from someone who has so much that they will never realize it is missing.

If you thought to yourself, “Stealing from the poor is worse than stealing from the rich,” then your standard is cultural not Biblical. I

hope you realize that both acts are equally sinful. Solomon is saying you should not steal—even if no one is likely to notice or if no one will be hurt by it.

Here is another question. Which is worse: a.) Stealing $1,000,000? b.) Stealing $2,000,000?

Does the size of what is stolen make the act more wrong? If it is the heart and not the dollar amount that matters, then how does God view stealing a ten dollar stapler from the office? Did you ever consider that Adam and Eve’s sin involved just a small piece of fruit? Maybe there aren’t any bank robbers reading this book, but it is a safe assumption that many of us still struggle with the desire to take what isn’t ours, especially when we think it might never be noticed or missed. So what are we to do?

Ephesians 4:28 says, “Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.” Perhaps the most powerful words of this verse are at the end: “to give.” It DOES NOT say that thieves should learn to work for what they want. What it DOES say is that thieves The key to living a need to learn how to work for life free from the something to give.

The key to living a life desire to take what free from the desire to take what isn’t ours, lies in discov- isn’t ours, lies in ering the joy of giving. Jesus discovering the joy said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). of giving. Employees who go to work each day with the mindset that they are there to get as much for themselves as they can will be takers. They will take longer breaks,

they will spend work time taking personal calls, they will leave early, and office supplies will go home with them. Psychologists tell us these people don’t even consider what they are doing as stealing. They rationalize that, since the purpose of work is to benefit them, they deserve these things. So they do the minimum of what is required to receive the financial compensation they came for, and they often feel entitled to a little more.

Contrast that with workers having a Biblical understanding. They realize that it is more blessed to give than to receive. They enjoy blessing their employer and customers with their very best. They don’t mind answering the phone one last time—even after they have punched out—because they aren’t plagued with the feeling that they are owed more than they might receive. They have discovered the joy of giving! For them, another spiritual law has kicked in: “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over” (Luke 6:38).

Who do you think has the best job security when times get tough? Who is the most likely to be given a promotion? Without a doubt it is the giver. When giving becomes a lifestyle, the temptation to take what isn’t yours disappears. Solomon said this about things acquired dishonestly “Bread gained by deceit is sweet to a man, but afterward his mouth will be filled with gravel” (Proverbs 20:17). This means that the satisfaction you expect to receive from stealing your employer’s time or money will elude you. It will be like trying to catch your shadow; it will never feel like enough, and it will never satisfy you. Even after taking extra breaks, instead of feeling satisfied that you got what you deserved, you will still feel entitled to more. “The world of the generous gets larger and larger; the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller.” (Proverbs 11:24 The Message)

When we give, our world and our influence becomes larger. Our hearts also become larger as our concern for others enlarges our hearts. The world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller as their

only concern is for themselves. If we follow Solomon’s advice we will discover the joy and fulfillment God desires for us. No one can take enough time, money, or other “valuables” to become truly satisfied. But, those who live to give discover that blessing others actually blesses them the most.