How bad is it?

Stealing-How bad is it

Many people do not realize that what they think as just taking seemingly little things, can lead to taking bigger things and ultimately one becomes a thief. The “little fox” of stealing the towels from the motel, shop lifting small items, and keeping things that do not belong to them, could lead to a dangerous pattern which could eventually lead to one being imprisoned for theft.

We must also check our own lives to see if we are failing God by yielding to stealing or cheating. We may not realize that some of the things we do constitute just that — stealing.  However, we don’t recognize it as such. Here is a small checklist of some of things that would classify us as a thief:

1. Taking the salt and pepper shakers from restaurants.

2. Taking the towels from hotels and motels.

3. Short-changing people at check out counters on purpose.

4. Shoplifting and taking anything that does not belong to us.

5. Using scales that are not in balance when selling by weight. (Proverbs 11:1, “A false balance is abomination to the LORD: but a just weight is his delight.”)

6. Giving a partial days work for a full days pay, you are stealing time from your boss.

7. Padding the expense accounts of your employer.

8. Charging people excessive interest on borrowed money (usury). (Ezekiel 22:12-13, “In thee have they taken gifts to shed blood; thou hast taken usury and increase, and thou hast greedily gained of thy neighbours by extortion, and hast forgotten me, saith the Lord GOD. Behold, therefore I have smitten mine hand at thy dishonest gain which thou hast made, and at thy blood which hath been in the midst of thee.”)

9. Cheating on school exams, as this is stealing a qualification you didn’t earn.

10. Over-charging or over-pricing of the sale of goods.

11. Borrowing” items from a friend and never returning them.

12. Borrowing money from anyone (friend or institution) and failing to repay it.