“Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.” – Ephesians 4:28
When I was around 5 years old, I’m pretty sure I was a kleptomaniac in the making, but thankfully I got caught. I can remember walking through the candy aisle in our local drug store, seeing all the candy bars, and wishing they were mine.
One day I made the decision to take 3 or 4 candy bars and put them in my pants when no one was looking. Well, a few minutes later, we were walking out of the store and heading to the car. My mom was walking out while talking to the owner of the store. I was right behind her.
As I was making my way out of the store, one of those candy bars broke free from my waistband, made its way down my pant leg, and slid on the floor…right at the feet of the drug store owner.
In that moment, I knew I was in BIG trouble. I, of course, had to return the candy bars, apologize to the owner, and then I was disciplined by my dad at home later that day. I realized very quickly that stealing didn’t need to be a part of my life.
Have you ever stolen something that didn’t belong to you?
The problem with stealing is that it always stems from a sinful source. We steal when we don’t feel like we are getting what we deserve. We steal when we covet. We steal when we are greedy and feel entitled to more. All stealing comes from a sinful seed.
When you become tempted to take something that isn’t yours, don’t just consider that you shouldn’t do it, but why you even want to in the first place. We know God commands us not to steal.
So then why is it even in our hearts to want to do so? Usually, it is coming from a deeper place. What is in your heart that makes you want to take what isn’t yours? Ask God to reveal to you the sinful seed in your heart, and remove it, quickly.