Is there anyone who does not know it’s wrong to steal? Yes! Everyone can be fooled into thinking something is okay that is actually stealing. It is a serious matter and a real temptation and danger for Christians in any age.
Time
Time is not only the most precious resource; it’s also the most stolen.
When we are at work, our time belongs to our employer (Ephesians 6:5-8). This is especially true if we are literally on a punch clock, but, punch clock or no, all Christian workers must be mindful of too much socializing or tardiness or breaks that gradually get a little bit longer and a little bit longer….
The real tricky one, though, is when someone in the workplace wants to talk about spiritual matters. Of course we welcome discussions about the Bible and people’s souls, so this naturally tempts us to take the extra time, if only just this once. But we are failing in our duty to be honest and subject to our bosses if we take the time we are being paid to work and use it for some other purpose, no matter how noble the cause may seem. Kindly suggest to that person that you continue the discussion on break, at lunch, or after work. Invite him or her to services! The fact that you won’t take the time on the clock because of your Christian responsibility can in itself become a teaching opportunity (Titus 2:7-8).
Time is not our own at home, either. Give your spouse and your children your time and attention. It is their due. Pray with them and for them. Read the Bible together. See life as the brief moment that it is.
And of course, all time belongs to God. “Make the best use of the time, for the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:16).
Taxes
I don’t enjoy paying taxes any more than anyone else does, but I know what God has said about the matter. “For this reason you pay taxes: the authorities are ministers of God…. Pay taxes to whom taxes are owed” (Romans 13:6, 7).
One brother told me he’d be fine if our tax rate were 60%, because we’d still live better than 9 out of 10 people in the world. Thankfulness goes a long way.
Even so, many feel justified cheating on their tax returns because they feel government is wasteful or even potentially supporting immoral programs or organizations.
Now I’ve got to point out that 1st-century Roman government wasn’t exactly a paragon of virtue or model of efficiency. They did some horrible, immoral things with taxpayer money. But God still had Paul write to Christians in Rome — some of whom He knew would be executed by Rome as were Paul and Jesus Himself — to be subject to their governing authorities and to pay their taxes.
It is stealing to cheat on the taxes.
Elder Care
It is so shameful to talk about this, but scamming and cheating the elderly is on the rise. We’re not the first people to see this; the Scribes and Pharisees institutionalized it (Mark 7:9-13; Luke 20:45-47).
The tricky thing here is a sense of entitlement. Power of attorney is to be used for the best interests of the aging; sadly, it is often used to misappropriate funds. When someone has been cut out of the will or feels he is doing an unfair share of the work, emotions cloud rational thinking. The temptation to extract one’s own inheritance (and maybe a little retribution) is all too real. It can and does happen all too often.
Another potential pitfall is accepting pay working for an aging family member. This kind of help can be completely above board and a great boon to someone in need, but it’s easy for the correspondence of actual work and actual pay to get hazy. We must make sure we are above reproach in doing the work and giving the time. Keep spectacular records of everything.
Giving to the Lord
“Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me…in your tithes and contributions” (Malachi 3:8). Ancient Israel struggled with giving, and we must look to ourselves lest we also be tempted.
The apostolic instruction in 1 Corinthians 16:2 has each one giving “…as he may prosper.”
This means we may have to reduce our contribution when we lose income. But beware. Consider carefully what you choose to keep when you choose to lower your contribution.
But “as he may prosper” equally means God should get a raise when we do. People are worried about inflation hurting the treasury. God took care of that already. If God gets a raise when we do, He keeps up with inflation as we do. He is responsible when you prosper, you know.
Conclusion
Let us turn again to the Scriptures. “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).
