"THOU SHALT NOT STEAL"

 “THOU SHALT NOT STEAL”

I was talking to a friend about a winter vegetable garden. She made one by lining milk crates with shade cloth and could move the boxes around for the best sun as winter progresses. She also told me that many stores just gave away the crates. This sounded great! So the next time I went to the store, I drove around the back, and laying cattywampus on the ground were lots of milk crates. I thought they were being thrown away, so I took six home with me, lined them with the shade cloth, put in the special soil mix I made, and planted my vegetables. The next day when I went to water my new garden, to my alarm I saw this message on the side of the boxes: “WARNING: USE BY OTHER THAN REGISTERED OWNER PUNISHABLE BY LAW.” Oh nooooooo!!

 

What to do now? I know stealing is a sin, but. . . but. . . but. . . They are only plastic boxes, no big deal; I thought they were trash; my friend said . . . .  Then I got called to go help a friend at work, and a whole week went by, and I still hadn’t decided for sure exactly what I was going to do, though it just stayed niggling in my head. I found myself thinking: “If I had a child, would I want them to see me stealing and think it’s okay if you have a good excuse for it?” Heck no. Just because it was only a few boxes doesn’t make it right.

 

In Exodus 20, God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses, including verse 15 that says: “Thou shalt not steal.”

 

And in fact, when Joshua and the Israelites first came into the promised land, they took the city of Jericho, and God gave specific directions concerning the city’s wealth. But Achan decided to help himself to some of it. It’s interesting to note that in Joshua 7, where the story is recorded, Achan is described as the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah. We know that adults are responsible for their own lives, but did the parents, in this case, not pass on to their children and their children’s children the importance of not stealing, not lying, not coveting, and the rest of God’s Commandments?

 

It says in verse 1 that “the anger of the Lord was kindled against the children of Israel.” God was upset with all of them, and because Achan seemed to represent their disobedience, he and all his family were destroyed.

 

When we get to the New Testament, a man asks Jesus: “’What good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?’ And he said unto him, ‘Keep the commandments.’ He saith unto him,’ Which?’” And Jesus listed a few, including “Thou shalt not steal.” (Matt. 19:16-18).

 

Then in the Epistles, Paul includes not stealing as one of the requirements of loving they neighbor as thyself (Rom. 13:9).

 

And in Ephesians 4:28, God tells us: “Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.”

 

With Jesus as our Lord, and God to watch over us always, we need to respect each other. We don’t need to take anything that belongs to someone else because God is always near to provide everything we need and more, without having to steal it. Philippians 4:19 provides that promise: “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

 

Yes, the original Ten Commandments of God are still excellent rules to live by doing unto others as we would have them do unto us.  

 

So, what did I do about the stolen milk crates? I went back to the store, and the Lord led me in only the way He can do. I walked in the front door and went up to where I thought the manager was. It was closed for lunch. I headed toward the back down past the dairy section. Then I noticed two workers headed toward the entrance to the back. One of them was pushing a hand truck, and guess what was on that truck? Yep, 5 or 6 milk crates!

 

 I said, “I need to talk to the manager.” And the girl with the milk crates said, “We’re all managers here.” So I said, “I did a bad thing last week concerning those boxes.” And the girls both looked past the milk crates to some cardboard boxes in the back.

 

I said, “No, not those, the crates you’ve got there on your hand truck.“ And I told them I came back to confess my sin, that I could dump out the dirt and the plants and bring them back, or I could pay for them. They kind of giggled, then said, “Don’t worry about it, honey, there’s no tracking device on them, and we do sometimes give them to charities in town, so you’re okay.” I could still hear them giggling as they disappeared through the door to the back of the store.

 

It feels really good to do the right thing. Only Jesus could set it up for the milk cart girl to be right in front of me! The girls were giggling, and I had a good laugh too (and a big dose of relief). God is so good to us.

 

I know you may think this is kind of silly, but I think about the parable Jesus told about being faithful in a little, and God can then trust you with a lot, so that’s how I try to live.

 

Love, Carolyn