Topic:ASK DON’T TAKE
Memorise: Whoso robbeth his father or his mother, and saith, it is no
transgression; the same is the companion of a destroyer. Proverb
28:24
Bible Text: Matthew 7:7-12
Bible in one year: Esther 1-3, John 8:48-9:12
It is common for people to re-brand a particular evil act by giving it
a more tolerable name. They do this so that the fall weight of that evil act is
not felt by their conscience. However, re-branding prostitutes as commercial
sex workers or calling sexually transmitted diseases “gentleman’s disease” does
not change them from being what they are before God. In the same vein,
describing stealing as “taking” does not stop it from being an evil act.
Anything you take without the permission of its rightful owner, especially with
the intent of keeping it, is stealing, irrespective of who you took it from.
If
you take something with the consent of the owner under a mutual understanding
not to return it, you can call it a gift. If there is a mutual agreement that
the item is to be returned, that is borrowing. Do you know that many items have
moved from being borrowed to being stolen, because the one who borrowed the
item has failed to return it? If you have treated any item like that, you are a
thief. Return the item to its owner today.
It is a pity that some people do not know the difference between gifts
and borrowed items on the one hand and stolen items on the other hand. One area
where people commonly flout such rules is in family relationships. Some
children take it for granted that because something belongs to their parents,
they are free to take it without their permission. Also, spouses take advantage
of each other in this area. The wife may say since the money belongs to her
husband, and what is his is also hers, she can take his things whenever she
likes with his consent and without feeling guilty. If you have not deliberately
discussed this and jointly agreed that it should be so, your action can amount
to stealing. God expects you to liven with a sense of accountability,
responsibility and honesty. The reason some people steal from their spouses,
parents or children is because they know that if they ask for the item, their
request would be turned down. If you want something that belongs to your spouse
or family member, simply ask. If the fellow turns down the request, pray to God
to touch his or her heart, then go and ask again and again. Never take something
unless you have the approval of the owner to do so. Otherwise, you are a thief,
and no thief will enter Heaven.
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