Let the thief no longer steal. Instead, he is to do honest work with his own hands, so that he has something to share with anyone in need. Ephesians 4:28
The eighth commandment is simple – “Do not steal” (Ex 20:15). While most of us will admit that we have stolen something, few of us are habitual thieves, which makes this commandment easy to dismiss. Yet, we are all guilty of stealing and we may do it more often than we realize. We steal affection from our spouse, attention from our children, and misappropriate time and resources from our employer.
However, the theft of greatest concern is stealing from God. While we may intellectually agree that all we have has been given to us by God, we often treat it as if it all belongs to us. And, when God asks us to give a portion back to him, we struggle with generosity. When we see people in need, we make excuses for not helping them. Such as, they are responsible for their own problems. However, when we start looking at the New Testament references to stealing, we get a different view of stealing, for Jesus often exhorts people to sell their possessions and give to the poor. (Matt 19:21, Mark 10:21, Luke 12:33)
From this, I suggest that the opposite of stealing is generosity. Generosity to our spouse, children, employer, but most importantly, generosity to God. “God, who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all – how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” (Rom 8:32 NIV)
If God is generous enough to give both his Son for our salvation and all things needed for our earthly lives, then how can we respond be being stingy and not provide for the people that he loves? Paul writes in Ephesians 4:28, “Let the thief no longer steal. Instead, he is to do honest work with his own hands, so that he has something to share with anyone in need.” Do you agree that the opposite of stealing is generosity?