You Shall Not Steal

I remember when I was a kid, I never really stole from people, I would just take things like road signs, and letters off of marquees, signs off of bathroom or employees only doors... things that seemed like a victimless crime. I remember once my dad made me take all of my road signs and return them to the highway patrol office [or at least the ditch out front ] He was trying to teach me that no matter what I stole, or who I stole it from, it was wrong. Theft is theft, whether it be physical property, intellectual property, monetary, or time. Are there things that Americans steal without thinking about it?

Wouldn't you say it is time from work? the employer? Whether it is consistently being late, taking long breaks, or just "sitting at the desk, lost in space"?

What about that old fashioned word "restitution"? When we have stolen something or cheated on an exam, shouldn't there be some sort of "making it right"? How many of us would be fearful of stealing again, if we were made to make restitution? I believe that it might be preventative medicine for our souls to have to make things right with someone from which we have stolen. Has anyone ever had to make something right? Would you be willing to share?

I have a story where I had to make things right, um, I guess we could say that I robbed someone by destroying their character with other people. I guess it falls in that category.

Anywho...I will never forget this...

I was in seventh grade with some people from youth group, and we were on a mission trip, and some people really didn't get along for whatever reasons, and feelings were hurt. People said some things. And I stood there with some teens as they bad mouthed an adult, and we robbed that person by destroying their character, I may not have said anything, but I didn't defend the person, anywho....

That guilt ate in me like crazee, it was just in the front of my mind the second i tried to put it in the back of my mind. Right when I came home from the trip, and I mean right when I got home, I got our telephone, called that adult, and I had to apoligize, and tell them what I did. The freedom that came from that....ha...i could finally sleep..haha..

in closing...True statement everytime we rob someone, its because of selfish motives. We dont' cheat on a test for selfless reasons..ha..its because we want good grades...

and in closing...(im practicing my preaching by saying in closing ten times...) We can rob God of Glory, time, money, and many other things, including ourselves.

One more in closing...if stealing comes from a selfish motive, it is really connected to the tenth commandment huh...don't covet...we want something we dont' have...and then we may actually go get it. its tied into a lot of commandments. Crazy, its like God knew that they would all go together so well...haha...okay so he did...he is just crazee wise.

-amanda!

Wow, those are some really good points. I hadn't really ever thought about stealing from God. But if you think about it, he is the one that has given us time, talents, gifts, etc. If we are not using them to further His kingdom, then we are essentially stealing from God.

In the book of malachi, God shows his anger to those who are not tithing...

He says, "You have robbed me."...check it out...Malachi starting chapter three..although he talks about it also in chapter one.

-amanda!

My senior year -- 13 years of parochial education -- received an 'F' in Religion class. Gail Ann and I had attended school together since kindergarten. That's a lot of history! Fr. Kieran taught 2 religion classes. Gail Ann was in one and I was in the other. Both classes were given 8-10 sheets of Bible history questions to answer. Gail Ann supposedly did not have time to do her assignment. The morning when everything was due -- she cornered me in the girls' bathroom, begging, crying, pleading for my papers. She got them! Later in the day, I didn't see Gail Ann to get the religion papers back. Went in to class with all sorts of prepared answers for 'where they were'. I had just taken my seat and looked up the aisle of desks. Fr. Kieran was imposing with his steely grey eyes and 6'5" frame. Staring at me the entire length of his walk to my desk -- he tore MY papers in tiny shreds on my desk. He did not say a word. Just turned around and walked to the front of the class room. There was no hole to climb into! I not only betrayed myself, but God, Gail Ann and Fr. Kieran. Report cards came out and the big fat 'F' was hard to ignore. Took my report card home and handed it to Dad. At the time he was on a ladder hanging drapes in our dining room. Well, when he saw the 'F' -- he almost tumbled from the ladder. It wasn't just my first 'F' -- but in Religion class. The biggest part of the 'F' was in my character!