Exodus 20 v 15 You shall not steal.
I wonder if it has ever occurred to you that we can commit the sin of theft against ourselves and our own families?
Some people rob their families because of a terribly stingy mentality. Many a wife is kept without money, and every time something is needed she has to resort to begging and pleading with her husband. This sometimes happens even when the woman is working and adding to the family income. And of course sometimes it is the female partner who is the stingy one. This form of stinginess is nothing short of theft – not only of the items he should have provided for his family, but also the theft of dignity from his wife and children.
Stingy people rob themselves and their families of the good things that God allows us. All things in the world are given to us to enjoy, of course it is right that we should be prudent and discreet in the way we handle our money, but callous miserliness brings misery and tension into the home.
The opposite can also apply, when there is irresponsible spending and wasting of money. Some people are unbelievably extravagant and foolish in the way in which they spend their money and this may cause tremendous stress for their partners and families. This is also a form of theft, for not only does it rob the family of needed items, but it often robs the family of peace of mind and a sense of well-being.
In Proverbs 22:26 we read, ‘Do not be one of those who shakes hands in a pledge, one of those who is surety for debts …’. Unwise decisions, such as standing as surety for friends who are irresponsible, may turn you into a thief if our own family is deprived.
Another way of committing the sin is to rob your children of time you should spend with them, both for leisure and for spiritual instruction. You rob your family of the opportunity of hearing from God or learning about Him by skipping Church on Sundays.
The Lord’s Day should be used to improve the spiritual life of your family. To spend it in such a way that fellowship and biblical instruction is undermined is to turn yourself into a spiritual robber.
But idleness and time wasting is not limited to the Lord’s Day. Many a person encounters financial difficulty because of laziness. These are days when recreation has become a huge industry and it appears that many people live only for holidays and days off work.
To lose profits or commission because of laziness, or even to lose your job because of indolence, is to be a thief. If you are without work and you don’t look for work, your situation becomes your own fault. In the words of God: ‘Slothfulness casts one into a deep sleep, and an idle person will suffer hunger.’ (Proverbs 19:15) Let us all be aware that all our actions have consequences and let us seek to live a life pleasing to God.
Meditation: Please read Proverbs 3 v 5 & 6