CD - The Seventh Commandment - 1 Timothy 6:10

“I wish I had . . .” What would you do if you had a million dollars? “If only I could get my bills paid.” “I would love to have a new . . .” “Everybody else has one, why can’t I get one?” Have you ever heard any of these phrases or “keeping up with the Joneses?” Can these thoughts and words be classified as envy, greed, or stealing? Of course, the answer is “yes” and “no,” for I cannot judge what is in your heart, only God can. They can be judged “no” if the thought is simply a thought and kept in perspective of what you have and do not have. They are “yes” if, in your heart, you would be willing to steal for them.

The Bible says that, “where your treasure is, that is where your heart is” (Luke 12:34); in other words, what is important, or first to you is your god. This practice would tend toward idolatry, also.

As with the fifth commandment and killing, so it is with the seventh commandment and stealing. The Bible reading from First Timothy says that “the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil” (1 Timothy 6:10). It does not say simply that money is the root of evil, but that the love of money is the root of all kings of evil, in other words, greed is the sin. The progression of sin is from being envious of what the Jones’s have, instead of actually being happy for them and sharing in their joy, to actually hating the Jones’s (murder), to such greed that you would do anything to get what they have. The last step, then, is actually stealing what is theirs, or stealing to buy one, but the actual stealing is the final sin.

The sin begins in the heart. Where is your heart set—on things of this world or on heavenly things? Where your heart is, can be and is shown by your actions. For example, laziness on the job is stealing. If you are paid by the hour, and you figure you should be getting more per hour so you slow down and do not give one hundred percent, you are indeed stealing. Vandalism is stealing. Every time you vandalize, break, mutilate, or mess up someone else’s property so that it must be fixed or replaced, you have stolen from that person. Borrowing without returning is stealing. Stealing just a little is still stealing.

This commandment is not a hard one to keep. The key is where is your heart?; your actions will follow your heart. Let us remember that we are here on this earth for only a short time compared with being in heaven for eternity. The things of this world will pass away, but our life in heaven will be forever. Our response of faith is to be truly joyful for what we have and for what our neighbor has. Our response of faith is to care for those possessions God has loaned to us as His stewards while here on this earth. And, finally, our response of faith, with the Lord’s help is to master our possessions and not let our possessions master us.

Dear Lord, thank You for all Your many gifts and blessings, gifts and blessings too numerous even to count. Thank You for the gift of this day, which as are all days, is a gift from Your gracious hand. Forgive me when I covet another’s possessions. Forgive me when I am not content with what I have. Help me to learn to be more content and especially to be happy when others receive special blessings from Your most gracious hand, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.