Are You A Taker?

Are You a Taker?

You must not steal.

Deuteronomy 5:19

If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need.

Ephesians 4:28

Give to anyone who asks; and when things are taken away from you, don’t try to get them back.

Luke 6:30

One of the first words most of us learned is “Mine!” followed closely by “Give me” and “I want.” As toddlers we saw something we wanted and we reached out for it—it didn’t matter whose it was. As we grow, if God does not change us, we become grown-up takers who continue to reach out for what we want, refusing to rest in what God has provided for us.

Stealing is not just taking something that doesn’t belong to us. Plenty of nonmaterial things can be stolen: time from an employer, credit for someone else’s work or accomplishment, a service that you use but don’t pay for. We also steal when we don’t pay what we owe, whether it is money, belongings, affection, courtesy, appreciation, or time. We steal from our parents when we waste things they’ve paid for us to have—education, food, opportunities. We steal from our employers not only by taking things home that belong to the company, but by wasting time on the job when we’re being paid to contribute.

When God says, “You must not steal,” he’s telling us to be honest in our dealings with others. We’re to stop sponging off others or demanding that others meet our needs. The real issue is not so much actual theft, which most of us recognize is wrong. It’s about the heart attitude behind stealing. It’s having a taker’s attitude about life. More than that, it’s an attitude toward God that says, “You have not given me enough. I can’t trust you to provide what I need to feel satisfied. I have to take things into my own hands so that I can maintain the lifestyle I need to.” God has promised to give us everything we need. Will you take him at his word?

DISCUSSION STARTERS

What is the difference between a giver and a taker?

Is there anything you or your family uses but doesn’t pay for, any debts you owe but aren’t paying?

What are the advantages and disadvantages of being a giver instead of a taker?