How are you? How is your week going? Have you kept the 8th commandment?
The 8th commandment calls us to not steal. This is a commonly held value in many societies today. A society won’t be able to function if its people are stealing from one another all the time.
However, more and more, our society tries to teach us that breaking this commandment isn’t that bad. We have movies like Ocean’s 11, Inside Man, and Inception that glorify theft and “getting away with it.”
And I’m not going to lie… I have thoroughly enjoyed these movies, and I didn’t think much of the 8th commandment while watching them. However, we must not forget this commandment, and we must not be deceived to think that stealing is ok.
On the surface, it seems like an easy commandment to follow. However, going deeper, we see that we break it repetitively. We steal from the government by not reporting numbers correctly. We steal from our workplaces when we waste time and resources. We steal from others in sly and selfish ways. We break this commandment through our hearts of greed as well (inside-out rule).
Not only that, we don’t do the positive aspect of this commandment. We don’t remember who has given us what we have. We don’t trust in Him for our provisions. We are not thankful and content, but instead, we complain. We are not good stewards of God’s good gifts. Lastly, we don’t give as much as we should.
Just like the others, this is an impossible commandment. However, God makes it possible through His Son. Jesus did not come to take and steal. Instead, He came to give. He gave everything to us by laying down His life on the cross.
Through this ultimate giving, we are able to be thankful and to be good stewards. We are able to give, because He has first given.
Just like the other commandments, take some time to marvel at the gracious and holy character of God. Take some time to enjoy how He has fulfilled these commandments through Christ on the cross. And lastly, take some time to pray and ask for His help in this commandment.
See you all on Sunday for Lord’s Day Worship. May the Lord be with you, sustain you, and bless you in Christ.
In Him,
Pastor Tim
Photo Credit: https://www.vectorstock.com/royalty-free-vector/thief-stealing-wallet-cartoon-vector-11328052