Exodus 20:15 “You shall not steal.” NKJV
Theft has become so widespread that this Commandment alone would be grounds for nations to come under severe judgment. The spirit of entitlement raises its ugly head to convince us that something that belongs to someone else is really meant to be ours. The ego’s scarcity mentality propels us into a life of theft because there is simply not enough to go around. Sufficiency in goods, services, ideas, resources, are all available through Our Heavenly Father. Our gifts and our calling attracts all of the needed resources to bring forth fruit. If we are living lawlessly, we cutoff the life flow and the attraction of those resources to our beck and call.
The positive side to this commandment is that we honor the rights and possessions of others. I have heard many say that I don’t own anything, everything belongs to THE LORD. This commandment says otherwise. We are called to “own” resources as an aspect of our calling. We are called to be good stewards over possessions and resources. Yes, you can argue that everything is THE LORD’S as the right of ultimate Creator. However, HE assigned title to us. Our actions surrounding our possessions reveal the state of our hearts. We are accountable and responsible.
If you have a scarcity mentality, you will steal. This reveals the state of your heart as it relates to Love. When you are given too much change when you pay your bill in the restaurant or retail store, do you return the difference? Stealing is an attitude of the heart and expressed later in actions. You don’t honor the possessions of others and thus you probably don’t honor your parents or Our Heavenly Father either. Your Love is lacking.
What about the abuse of others in stealing from you? What about the government “stealing” your money by exacting unfair or additional taxes? What about their attempt to take your social security away from you after you paid in for four or five decades? Government theft is so commonplace that we could spend days, weeks, and months focusing on the theft inherent in the system. Are the resources of Our Heavenly Father greater than the government’s ability to steal?
When you are walking in Love, you truly know what belongs to you. Love honors the other person and his possessions. Love will attract resources needed for you to live and flourish in your calling. The thief will be revealed before he can steal from you. In some cases, mercy will cause you to fill the void that is in the thief’s heart. In the end, the thief will pay restitution for his theft. However it is Our Heavenly Father’s job to carry out judgment.
You are given resources by Our Heavenly Father thus you become responsible and accountable for those resources. You are to extend your Love by using the resources in an appropriate fashion. Hoarding resources means that someone else will go without. In the end, you have accountability when the intended recipient of those hoarded resources resorts to stealing. The universe is in constant fluid motion. Energy is transferred in ebb and flow. Exchange is fundamental in life. As each of us gives, we set the stage to receive. When someone steals, they block the Divine flow. When someone else hoards, they also block the flow. The hoarder would rather pay for storage space and let the goods rot than to bless someone in need. The commandment is all about the appropriate use of resources based on your Love.
Greed (love of money) plays such a key role in the landscape that promotes stealing. When people are deprived of basic resources they will resort to stealing. Those who are motivated by greed believe that the all resources should be retained in their control. This imbalance sets the stage for stealing. As Love replaces greed, the flow is once again activated. You begin to understand that your possessions do not define you and you then release those possessions to those who are in need. You should give the resource to the rightful owner. The owner of the resource is determined by the calling. As you empower that person’s calling, you also reap the benefit of that person’s fruit.
The misappropriation of time, energy, and money to fruitless endeavors is theft as well. When you focus resources on inappropriate tasks, projects, or trivial pursuits, you have participated in the theft of “fruitfulness”. Growing a vineyard in the desert is a misallocation of resources. Supporting a drug habit is a misuse of money. Any action based on compulsive behavior, a whim, or other misdirected act is a misuse of resources. As you allow Love to come forth in your life, you will no longer steal. Your fruit will abound and life will be promoted. Stealing will no longer be considered as an option.