(From: shopliftingprevention.org)
• More than $13 billion worth of goods are stolen from retailers each year. That's more than $35 million per day.
• There are approximately 27 million shoplifters (or 1 in 11 people) in our nation today. More than 10 million people have been caught shoplifting in the last five years.
• Many shoplifters buy and steal merchandise in the same visit.
• Drug addicts, who have become addicted to shoplifting, describe shoplifting as equally addicting as drugs. 57 percent of adults and 33 percent of juveniles say it is hard for them to stop shoplifting even after getting caught.
• Many shoplifters don't commit other types of crimes. They'll never steal an ashtray from your house and will return to you a $20 bill you may have dropped.
(From Laughbreak.com)
Oklahoma City: Dennis Newton was on trial for the armed robbery of a convenience store in a district court when he fired his lawyer. Assistant district attorney Larry Jones said Newton, 47, was doing a fair job of defending himself until the store manager testified that Newton was the robber. Newton jumped up, accused the woman of lying and then said, "I should of blown your (expletive) head off." The defendant paused, then quickly added, "if I'd been the one that was there." The jury took 20 minutes to convict Newton and recommended a 30 year sentence.
Detroit: R.C. Gaitlan, 21 walked up to two patrol officers who were showing their squad car computer equipment to children in a Detroit neighbourhood. When he asked how the system worked, the officer asked him for identification. Gaitlan gave them drivers license, they entered it into the computer, and moments later they arrested Gaitlan because information on the screen showed Gaitlan was wanted for armed robbery in St. Louis, Missouri.
The eighth commandment is: you shall not steal. God makes it simple, doesn’t he?
For society to function well, its people need to be honest and respect another’s property. Jesus said, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto your for this sums up the law and the prophets.”
Ownership of property is an interesting concept. The Bible tells us that God created all things and that all things are His. In other words everything that is created actually belongs not to us, but to God who made it. What God does with His creation is give us responsibility over it. In the beginning God created man and woman and put them in the garden to take care of it. God gave us rule or authority over the earth. This is a trust. We are not truly owners, but stewards over the things placed in our care.
As a steward over property we have a certain set of rights and privileges in regard to that which is entrusted to our care. We are responsible and answerable to God for how we deal with these things, and even our attitudes toward them. But ultimately, we have to turn it all in, or turn it all over to someone else, if there is anything left when we get through.
Solomon speaks about this in Ecclesiastes. He understands the true meaning of God’s ultimate ownership, but, as you will hear, he is not pleased with it at all. Listen to 2:17-26.
The wisdom we find in Ecclesiastes is this overarching principle: Abandon the quest of finding meaning in ownership here! You won’t ever get anything under the sun that satisfies you. There will never be enough stuff, never enough wealth, never enough toys, never enough parties… property is not meant to satisfy, it is meant to be used to the glory of God. It belongs to Him. It is His, not yours. You have responsibility and authority over what God has entrusted to your care so that you will use it to bring Him glory.
In Revelation 4 as John describes the throne of God, we see that there are 24 elders around the throne of God, and as they worship, they all lay their crowns before God’s throne and say: “You are worthy, our Lord and God to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.”
In other words, “Lord everything is yours!” We place it all at your feet!
When the church began in Acts 4 we read in verse 32-35: All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord, Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostle’s feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need.
In Acts 5 we meet Ananias and Sapphira, who sold a piece of property they owned and gave some of the proceeds of the property, but kept back some and lied about it. Guess what happened to them?
Peter lays out the principle of ownership and responsibility when he confronts Ananias in verses 3&4. Look especially at verse 4: Did it not belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, was not the money at your disposal?
Peter acknowledged here that Ananias had full power over this property and the funds from its sale. It was under Ananias’s care and responsibility. We would say, “He owned it.”
The Bible certainly looks at property in this way as well. Many things in this world that we can control we also lay claim to as property we own. But there is still a lot that is not possessed by anyone but God. The sunshine and stars, the planets, and on earth, the rain and the air we breathe, and even vast areas of the ocean, in fact, most of the stuff in this universe is still not under the ownership of anyone, except God. I would argue that everything is His, even that stuff we claim as our own.
God gave the eighth commandment as a way to protect that which He has entrusted to our care. Stealing attempts to usurp God. Stealing is a denial of God’s authority over all things. It says that what God has given me is not enough. Or that I don’t respect God’s order of ownership and responsibility.
How much do you have to steal to be a thief? How many lies do you have to tell to be a liar? How many people must you kill to be a murderer?
Corruption is destructive to society. Honesty is constructive to society. Respecting another’s property demonstrates a relationship with God, and protects relationships with others. God promises us that if we seek Him and His kingdom first, we will have all we need. When a poor person steals in order to eat, they are still doing wrong. Jesus said, “Ask, and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you. For the one who asks, receives; the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, it is opened. Which of you having a son, if he asks for bread would give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish would give him a serpent? If you then who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, will not your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him?”
Jesus gives us a lot of instruction about our needs and God’s care. When Jesus confronted the rich young ruler and offered this man eternal life, the rich man demonstrated that his wealth had become his god. But a person does not have to be wealthy to have this problem.
What is the opposite of stealing? Is it not giving? Let’s look again at Ephesians 4:27.
Let him that stole, steal no longer, but let him work with his hands that he may have something to give to those in need.
God wants to turn thieves into givers. We work not just to have for ourselves, but so we can have enough to help others! The point is that we would become like our Father who owns everything and constantly gives it away.
Stealing says, “I don’t trust God’s provision or authority.” Working to have so that I can share says, “God has provided me with all I need so that I have enough and can be like my Father toward someone else.”
God gave you your life. He gives your everything to enjoy and use for His glory. You can’t steal your way into joy and blessing, but you can work and give your way into God’s blessings.
Giving is like God. Stealing is like Satan. All Satan can do is steal and kill and destroy. God gives and brings life and creates.
God made us to be like Him.
