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, Read: 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.
Action
Point
Cultivate
the habit of seeking permission before taking or using whatever belongs to
others.
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