You Shall Not Steal

“You shall not steal.” Exodus 20:15To Steal:

To take (the property of another) without right or permission.

I love impromptu conversations over meals. It’s interesting what comes up and how, should I say, “firm” those discussions can become.

This week I had the opportunity to hear about a situation where stealing was in question. Sometimes I have struggles offering my opinion on certain things because of all of the mistakes I’ve made, but if that were the criteria for offering guidance and wisdom, who of us could utter a word? Praise God for His forgiveness, grace and mercy!

Here’s the situation: a young man, went to a vending machine and put his money in. The product that he wanted came out, but so did his money. The next day, he returned to the same machine and the same thing happened. Before he knew it, there was a line of people “taking advantage” of this buffet of “free” snacks. The question at hand was if this was stealing or not. What would you do? For the next thirty minutes I heard these explanations: “Well, that machine has taken my money so many times, I was just getting what was mine!” “It’s not stealing, what was I supposed to do, just leave the money there?” “What? Everyone else was doing it!” “Okay, so you’ve never done anything like that? Oh, you did? So, why am I wrong?”

From there I had to take a deep breath and just lay out, not my opinion, but the truth – taking what is not rightfully ours is stealing. Stealing is wrong, whether it’s a candy bar or a $100,000 car, convenient or acceptable or what “everyone” is doing, it’s wrong.

When one girl was asked if she was there, what she would have done, she said, “to be honest, I would probably be tempted to take part too, but I’d be afraid that I’d be caught!” To which I replied, “why be afraid of being caught if it’s not wrong?”

Many may say, “Gimme a break, if it’s there for the taking, who’s it going to hurt?” God says, “Do not steal!” To live in integrity, that is, who we are when no one is looking, is not the easy thing, but it’s the right and obedient thing and what will bring pleasure to the Lord. As Romans 12:2 states, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”