A Journal of a Broken Personality

I'm learning about Stealing

I'm learning, I'm learning about Stealing

"if you don't have it, go without it" Words I have heard a million time growing up by my mother. She would constantly remind my siblings and I every time we would ask her to buy something.

The first memory of stealing was at the age of 5, I remember my parents and siblings were nowhere in sight that I grabbed a spoon and when hunting into the freezer for the ice cream. I'd take a spoonful and hide, it just so happened that my older brother came and found me squatting behind the door I knew it was wrong because I begged him not to tell my parents. I remember getting the spanking for taking things that wasn't mine.

 Another incident was in school when we had a baking class and each student had made a tart, We were told to eat just our own but I ate another one. when the teacher had asked the class who had eaten it I didn't own up. I was afraid of owning up but can you imagine that at 5 years old I knew stealing was wrong?

I have relatives who have gone in and out of prison with a life of robbery and some of them now they live in complete poverty. luckily some of them have now decided to change their life and live of the land by farming.

Anything that isn't mine or anything that isn't used by permission is still considered stealing. I remember my mother saying "borrowing without asking is still stealing" people who are in correction centers have had years of experience in stealing and it all started at a young age. I remember being in high school a couple of friends and I would head to a thrift shop and steal clothes, I would hang up two huge shirts and block my friends from behind me she would stuff a dress into her bag, we would all be laughing our heads off at the bus stand bringing out stolen treasures. I guess we found it so funny because it was so easy to deceive the shop owners and we didn't get caught.

In James 1:14- 15 "but each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin when it is fully-grown, brings forth death". What we desire has power over us, we can either give into to it or not. Self-control is needed here but if we can't put our craving and bad habits into subjection then we automatically fall under its control. It starts out small but eventually it grows and when it is fully developed it brings forth death.

Stealing can be in many forms not just money alone, different types of goods, stealing can even be with time. Most companies pay their employees to work from 8am-5pm.Let me pose a question are we honest with our time doing work for our employers or not? do we take leave for genuine reasons or do we call in sick just because it's a Monday and the weekend vibes haven't rubbed off? Do we arrive to work late and not make up the time by staying back to cover the time lost? 

Stealing can also come in the form of infidelity. It tastes so good when it starts the flirting the attention that they give to each other and the thrill of not being caught. It leads to a time of short lived lust which evenly ends terribly. What if we find a wallet with money inside, clearly the address of the owner is on it. Do we make that effort to drop of the wallet to the owner or do we take the money and toss it away? 

How about stealing from the government? Are we honest with our taxes? When purchasing something and the incorrect change is given, upon noticing do we return it or do we pretend nothing happened and call that a blessing? How about at the supermarket do we grab a few grapes and munch away as if it's no big deal?

Just like a compulsive liar there can also be a compulsive thief. It's the habit of taking something that isn't theirs. You just need to take it, not that you will use it but because you have this urge to have it. I'm grateful that God intervened in my life about stealing at a younger age, yes with my parents I would occasionally get the spanking if I stole and that helped me. But imagine if I didn't get past that. I could have continued to steal and who knows ended up in jail. We don't realize this but stealing starts very small and eventually it grows and manifest into something greater. Soon enough it destroys you.

Ephesians 4:28 "Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hand what is good, that he may have something to give him who is in need" 

We all need to stop stealing curt of the habit of steal. If we have taken something that doesn't belong to us, whether it be a piece of candy or a million dollars whatever it may be its is not ours. It is still considered stealing, you can't weigh the two and say the million dollars is more serious that a piece of candy, in Gods eyes stealing is stealing.

 We need to cut the habit of stealing 

I'm learning, I'm learning about Stealing