Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Ephesians 4:28
A teacher asked for a meeting with the mother of one of her students, to discuss a problem. During the meeting, the teacher informed the mother that the student had been caught several times stealing pens from other students, and a number of the pens had been found in the girl’s desk. The mother was shocked at this news. She told the teacher, ‘I don’t know why she would steal the pens. She certainly doesn’t need them. Her father brings plenty of pens home from work’. That mother couldn’t see the problem. But we can. Children learn all sorts of things from their parents, including dishonesty. And dishonesty is just one of the things that our text tells us should not mark the testimony of a Christian. According to this text, the Christian’s life should be marked by honesty, industry, and generosity.
A general attitude many people have is that the worst part of stealing is getting caught. The world sees little wrong with cheating on taxes or switching price stickers or other ‘little’ dishonesties. But taking something that belongs to others is wrong, and we know it. ‘Thou shalt not steal’ (Exodus 20:15) is one of the Ten Commandments. There is nothing ambiguous about those four words, no loopholes or exceptions. Stealing might have been acceptable to us in our unconverted days. But now that we belong to our Lord, there is a better way.
That better way, our text declares, is to work. Adam was instructed to eat bread by the sweat of his face (Genesis 3:19), and ever since, mankind has subsisted on the fruits of his own labour. Contrary to the entitlement attitude of the modern-day liberals, a person’s prosperity should depend on his own diligence: the more and better your work, the more you should earn. And that honest work leaves no room for unfairness. Mark the words of Proverbs 22:16: ‘He that oppresseth the poor to increase his riches, and he that giveth to the rich, shall surely come to want.’ And that brings us to the godly attribute of generosity.
Although we work to provide for the needs and comforts of ourselves and our families, our text reminds us that we have a responsibility to others. During His ministry, the Lord Jesus paid special attention to the poor, and urged others to do the same. Helping the widows and the fatherless is frequently mentioned in the Scriptures, so it must be important. In our society that provides support for the unfortunate and the lazy, we tend to forget that there are desperately needy people for whom a little from us would mean much to them. They need not be next door, either. Just ask a missionary to recommend somebody you can help.
Our text is very practical. We will be better people if we are honest, industrious, and generous. What a great help that will be to our testimony for our Lord! – Jim MacIntosh