THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 21
Exodus 20:15
Ephesians 4:28

“… he shall restore sevenfold …”

THE EIGHTH COMMANDMENT AND YOU

The Eighth Commandment forbids stealing. This is about theft of properties that belong to others or withholding from others what is rightfully theirs.

Dealing deceptively in your business to make gain by cheating others and by not being truthful is stealing. Exploiting others is stealing from them. You must enter into any business or contract honestly even if it means you might lose out. Make sure you do not hike prices unfairly just because you are in an advantageous position. What do you do when the cashier returns more cash than is correct? Make right immediately or go back to return it. What if a restaurant forgets to charge you for a dish? You must correct them and pay the right amount. Do not take office or church things and utilize them for your own personal uses. Also, do not steal time from your company by not putting in the proper number of hours, or by idling, or watching YouTube while at your desk, or chit chatting all the time. If you are late for work, stay back after work to make up for it. Do not cheat on your taxes for it is stealing from the government. Using things without permission is stealing. Borrowing without the intention to return or keeping something for longer than necessary is not only lying but stealing too. Do you have such things in your home? Do you have computer software with stolen intellectual property rights or which were obtained through ill-gotten means? Return it or make restitution now. Also, do not accept or even buy goods you know are stolen or gotten through illegitimate means. What if there is an online offer but you know it is not fully legal to purchase and use the product? Do not buy it no matter how much you can save. Students, copying is stealing someone else’s work. Taking credit for what your colleague did is stealing the credit that belongs to someone else. And do not take or keep what rightly belongs to another. Enriching ourselves at the expense of exploiting others is stealing.

THOUGHT: Stealing involves more than just theft of things.
PRAYER: LORD, help me to be mindful of taking what belongs to others.