Stop It!

Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. Ephesians 4:28

 

Stealing is sin. There is no argument about that because of the commandment that clearly states it, “You shall not steal.”

 

Ephesians 4:28 (above) gives us the solution to the stealing problem (when it is our own problem): stop. it.

Self-control is one of the fruits of the Spirit named in Galatians 5:22. The principle of self-government is seen throughout the Bible. We are, each one, responsible for his/her own actions. The scriptures remind us of this several times. (Jeremiah 32:28; Ezekiel 18:4; Matthew 16:27; and 2 Corinthians 2:10 to name a few).

Many are quick to point fingers and blame others when things go wrong. We hear things like: “Well, if he hadn’t said that, I wouldn’t have hit him.” “If she had done what she was supposed to do, this would have turned out better!” “If my parents had done more for me, I wouldn’t be in this position.”

The blame game is alive and well.

But, as I think about all of these verses, I realize that God does not allow for the blame game. He clearly points us to the fact that it is what is in our own hearts that determines our words and actions. I know that many people get hurt by the sin of others, but what is our responsibility when the one being hurt is “me”?

Psalm 4:3-5 answers the question:

But know that the LORD has set apart the godly for himself;

the LORD hears when I call to him. Be angry, and do not sin; ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent. Selah                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Offer right sacrifices, and put your trust in the LORD.”

There are four things in these verses we can do.

1. Pray because God will hear the believer’s prayer.
2. Even if we are angry, ponder (think, consider our options), being silent for a time offers the opportunity to ponder.
3. Offering right sacrifices may mean we don’t get to have the last word or that we sacrifice our “right” to yell or fight back in an ungodly way. It may be a sacrifice of our time as we wait on the Lord for an answer.
4. Trust in the Lord. In our silence, He will answer our prayer (though it might take longer than we think it ought to). If we truly trust God, we will allow Him the time and opportunity to speak to our offender before we do.

 

So, when we want to sin (stealing or otherwise) we need to take control of our own behavior and “stop it.”  Likewise, when we are sinned against and we want to respond angrily, we need to “stop it” and consider the instructions of Psalm 4:3-5

We know we can stop because of the power of the Holy Spirit within us. For, we know that “God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control (2 Timothy 1:7).”

Now, we have to decide if we will “stop it.”