Morning Moments

Thou Shalt Not Steal
Exodus 20:15

In Somalia a man had stolen a scarf worth $1.58. In an attempt to somewhat restore law and order, Muslim fundamentalist have imposed and executed punishment for the crime. His right hand and right foot were bound so as to prevent excessive bleeding, then with a large knife both hand and foot were cut off.

The Baltimore Sun reported on a husband who drove home in his brand new car and ran into the house, inviting his wife to see his brand new car. She, anticipating his delight said she had a gift for him, something to do with his brand new car, and she presented him with The Club, the device that attaches to the car steering wheel to protect it from thieves. And the grateful husband said, "that's great honey, thank you so much for your thoughtfulness." And then with The Club in hand, they went outside together to where his brand new car had been stolen.

There was an account of a priest in Europe that told his parishioners "If you have a need and another has what you need, it is not stealing. Poor soul!

Respect for what belongs to someone else is a fundamental responsibility in any society. Protection of community is protection of oneself, for no one can steal from another without robbing himself.

To Steal From Oneself - Eph 4:28
Matthew Henry has written, "This command forbids us to rob ourselves of what we have by sinful spending, or of the use and comfort of it by sinful sparing." We must control our wanting and our wasting.

It Is To Rob Oneself of Character -

You may have little of this world goods, but to be a person of character is of far greater value. Taking what does not belong to you is to sacrifice honesty and integrity. That is why theft must not go unpunished. It is the individual character that determines the character of a nation. If I can steal from myself and get by, I will soon begin stealing from others.
It Is To Rob Oneself of Conscience -

When a person takes anything from another without making it right, it gets easier to do it again. Convicted grand larcenists, begin with petty theft. After a while, what we initially knew to be wrong, becomes a right in the mind of the thief (I have a right to that).

"Let him that stole steal no more, but let him labor with his hands."

BLESSINGS!