The seventh commandment is pretty straight forward in thou shall not steal. To disrespect the property of another by entrusting it to ones own care is only the tip of the iceberg. There are so many things one can do to steal from another. Many often steal from work just by not putting in the effort expected. Employers are required to pay a fair wage as a tenet of this commandment, but conversely, an employee is to put in the expected amount of time and effort at their job. I know businesses lose billions from productivity of employees who surf the web or play computer games during work hours, not to mention the "office supplies" that find their way home. This is the same as stealing. Not paying our debts when we have the means to do so is stealing.
I remember once when a cashier gave me change for a twenty dollar bill when I only gave her ten dollars. As much as I wanted the extra ten dollars, I knew she would be disciplined at work for the mistake so I corrected her. I turned to leave and this guy looked at me and shook his head like what kind of idiot gives away free money. I think many would see that as "to bad so sad" for the cashier, but to me, I thought it would be knowledgeable stealing and I could not have felt good about that money at all. Restaurants and hotels lose so much property to people who think they are entitled to have the silverware or towels because one perceived they paid enough already. There are so many things we do that society would call permissible and normal that could truly be classified as sin.
Stewardship. God wants the first fruits of our efforts, the first 10% and not the leftovers. Do we steal from God? This is not just the Church but stewardship includes food to the homeless, clothing to the poor and any number of charities. Are we stewards of God's creation and have we taken care of it or do we rob nature of its value. Have I given my talents to others or do I sit on the sidelines watching...and perhaps even complain about others in the process as they do not do it as well as I would do if I were involved. Stealing is not just property and valuables, but so often stealing the dignity of another human being can be far worse in God's eyes.
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I would like to see your message published in the Sunday bulletin. The only difficulty is getting the people who need reminding of this message to read it and see themselves in it. We have become a "me" society. We have a tendency to do things because of how they benefit us and our families instead of doing things because it is the right thing to do. God bestowed on each of us special talents that we need to use for the good of all of us. Remember Time, Talent and Treasure? The question I have, how do we influence those who have forgotten this message? A person I know used to be a very generous person. Giving of time and financially. This person married someone who isn't one to give freely of their time. "What's in it for me?", "I don't have time to volunteer, " and "I tried to volunteer but they didn't call me so the heck with them." Are the words most frequently heard. I have found the more time I spend volunteering and doing for others, the more time I seem to have and the more things I get done for myself and my family. I am not saying that I don't need help in this area, too. It has taken me a while to realize this. Start with little changes, the big changes happen before you know it.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your post. The big question is HOW we encourage people to give up time in this rat race of life. When a person helps others, they feel good about the opportunity and satisfaction. This is God's blessing on them and it usually fuels the desire to continue and do even more. God blesses us with that satisfaction but often taking that first step is always hardest. Churches and many private charities have always and continually search for ideas about how to foster volunteerism. It is God who puts that need to do so on the hearts of people and the ones who respond are who God will use and bless. In every age, God uses the one's who respond to His offer of grace. The best we can do often is to keep offering opportunities to serve.
ReplyDeleteAs the old saying goes "you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink." It is so frustrating to hear people say that they don't have time to volunteer or they don't have any extra money to give. And yet these are the people who have plenty to spend on big TVs and have plenty of time to do things for themselves. I guess leading by example and, like you said, offering opportunities are the best way to foster change.
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