Give and Take

Give and Take
Words of Faith 12-22-2022
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2022
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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Exodus 20
[15] "You shall not steal.

The great command of God is to love the Lord with all your being, and the second is to love your neighbor as yourself. Stealing from either God or a neighbor represents the opposite of love, a great disdain toward both.
The Hebrew word for "steal" is ganab (gaw-nab') and means to thieve or carry away either by deceit or by stealth a person or an object. The word applies to kidnapping a person or taking property. The command encourages respect for others' property and is an essential element in a stable society. This command is closely related to the 10th commandment because theft always begins with a covetous heart.
Though the verb used here in the eighth commandment can be used for stealing property, the command is much broader in its focus. There are many things that can be stolen, such as dignity, self-respect, reputation, freedom, and rights. One can steal an opportunity that belonged to another, steal credit for work or an idea, or steal the use of intellectual property.
The word in this command is also used for stealing in the sense of cheating. By cheating someone out of something, you are stealing from that person. By cheating on an exam, one steals an undeserved ranking earned by others honestly. In our modern technical society, the theft of an entire identity has become common.
This command recognizes that the Lord owns everything in heaven and earth. The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it (Psalm 24:1). Only the Lord can give or take away. When we steal from another person or cheat a person through deception, we are stealing from God because such property ultimately belongs to Him.
We also steal from God when we claim, redirect or withhold materials, energy or funds that He has directed us in our hearts and through His Word to return to Him (2 Cor. 9:7; Matt. 23:23; Malachi 3:8). We are to seek the Lord in how He wants us to handle and distribute His property. Diverting from His plan and leadership is a form of theft, just as sure as pulling boxes off a delivery truck would be.
We must also recognize that the goal of the Lord in our life is not simply to avoid cheating or stealing. If we are oriented to love the Lord and our neighbor, we will be consumed with a motive to give, not take. Jesus said, "If someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you" (Matthew 5:40-42). The Christ Life (Christ's life in us) is marked by giving, not taking; releasing, not grasping.
Part of the problem is that theft is a shockingly rampant problem today. There is an assumption that everyone steals a little, and small thefts do not matter. One is considered "honest" if they don't steal a great deal. Just try and return incorrect change or a soda accidentally delivered by a vending machine. Not only will the cashier probably look at you like you are crazy, but there is often no method for you to return something that is not yours.
Many thefts seem victimless but are not. To be guilty of theft, one does not have to steal millions through an insider stock trade. Some car dealers will advise you to file for a windshield repair after purchasing a used car. This is a theft. A computer salesman once slyly suggested to me that I could get a brand-new battery for my old laptop by using the warranty on my son's new laptop. This is theft. Many abuse generous return policies by using a tool, wearing clothing, or taking an exam with a laptop and then bringing the item back for a refund. Stealing the use of an item and incurring the restocking cost or even total loss of that item is theft. Ultimately the consumer is the victim.
Another common form of theft that may seem victimless is the abuse of credit and bankruptcy laws. A friend once told me he was declaring bankruptcy for the third time. His house was filled with the toys and gadgets purchased on consumer credit that he would not be paying for. He had no intention of paying back the original cost of these items. His house was filled with stolen goods.
There is a huge issue today over intellectual property. Legal battles rage over the theft of music and movies over the Internet as well as the use of pirated software. Copyrights seem to be there to be broken. These abuses are illegal, and they steal from the people who worked to create these forms of entertainment.
I once made great effort to return a dollar or so of vending machine change to a cashier. When asked, "Why are you so worried about it," I replied that I was not about to sell my soul for a few coins. I don't know if that was the best answer but the point is that character is not defined by the amount of the theft but by the theft. Taking a candy bar from the office "honor bar" may reveal more than we know.
Our culture is accustomed to and assumes theft as part of your character. Our culture is also shocked and surprised by generosity and giving. You don't have to give a wing on the hospital to be a blessing. Helping someone in line at the grocery with a bit of change can be a shocking moment of blessing. Anonymously giving to someone you observe in need can be wonderful as the Lord leads. If you want to have fun, pull up to a toll booth and pay the toll for yourself and the person behind you and ask the attendant to tell them, "God bless you." Giving is always so much more fun than taking.

Father God, give me Your heart of giving. Give me ears to hear and eyes to see where You want me to invest the things You have entrusted to me. Keep my heart pure that I may not covet. Keep the lines clear that I would not take. In Jesus' name.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2022
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2022 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.