Comments
Nicholas
on 02/14/2021 at 06:45 pm
Greg and Walt, thanks for your replies. I too believe it is a state of the heart matter. This was a topic of a sermon I heard decades ago. And those little things have stuck with me. Like seeing the quarter. I rarely if ever stoop to grab it. I leave it. Maybe someone who really needs it will find it to plug their meter or now has enough change for the bus home. You never know how .25 cents will bless another.
Walt Tegtmeier
on 02/14/2021 at 05:32 pm
It all comes down to a matter of the heart, did that pen end up at home deliberately or accident, once you realize it, take it back to work, etc, etc.
Greg Arnold (Admin)
on 02/14/2021 at 04:57 pm
Nicholas, we could probably find a hundred things per day that we’ve possessed in various ways. It seems Jesus clarified the lesson and made it a condition of the heart. What is your intent? That is the starting point to answer those questions.
Nicholas
on 02/14/2021 at 04:33 pm
If you are walking along and see a quarter on the ground, do you stop and pick it up? Is it yours? Did you earn it? Or does it belong to the one who dropped it? Is that stealing? What about the pen you started to use at work, but now mysteriously is used for personal use in your home office? Is that stealing? Did you purchase it? I ask honestly and curiously. What do others think?
Fred Hutton
on 02/14/2021 at 04:16 pm
Spell check changed sinner to dinner, but I am sure He understood. 🙄🙏🏻
Fred Hutton
on 02/14/2021 at 04:15 pm
Thank You Lord Jesus for dying for me even while I am still a dinner. Help me to live for You. Pour out Your Holy Spirit Lord. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.
45/365: Integrity Takes Effort
"You shall not steal." ~ God Exodus 20:15
While we may not steal cars, jewelry, or flat screen TVs, is it possible we can steal from others and not even realize it?
In my past, there were a few times when I stole time from my employer. I was paid a wage for something I willingly chose not to do. Is that stealing? It felt that way to me.
As the saying goes, "Integrity is doing the right thing, even when no one is watching." Be wise with your heart.
What separates a thief from an honest man? Is it the price tag of the "lifted item"? Or could it be something deeper - like the condition of the heart?
GO DEEPER: 1 Peter 3: 13-18