Thou shalt not steal

Thou shalt not steal; this is an easy one to fall, and sometimes without notice it! We know steal is wrong, no matter from which side you see it, is wrong. One time my oldest son finds a wallet with a $50 bill, and of course the driver license from the person. I was with a group of friends, and one of the kids from the group suggest him take the $50 since he found the wallet, my son took the money, and then toll me about the wallet. We give the wallet to a police man that was around so he can return to his owner. After a couple of days, from one of the boys that were with us I knew what happened.  I ask my son if it was true that he took the money from the wallet, he didn’t want to say yes, but my face and my tone was too scary for him to try to lie to me. 

My first idea for him was take the money, and let it at church during the collection at mass, but that week I was without no money, and no food in my refrigerator, and I have to wait one week before I get paid from my work. I rethink, and I tell him that he will use the money to buy food for us for the week.  I don’t know if what I did wrong or not, but that money came to my hands just in time. He was planning buy video games with the money without telling. I explain him that because the wallet has identification the money have an owner, and is not like he “found it” I tell him was wrong to do what he did.

Steal can go from steal something small like a pen from work to rob a bank. I think there is no measure if is small stealing or big stealing. How we can know if what we are doing is stealing? Our conscience will tell us right away, if I am doing something, and with just the thought about if I am stealing, I think that is exactly what I am doing.

Romans 2:14-15

¹⁴ Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law. ¹⁵ They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.

Big Hug,

MRM