These verses in Ephesians call for those who have been stealing to stop the sin, and move forward in work that will honor God and bless others. I may not be stealing money from another person, but I certainly don’t have a perfect track record of using my time, talent, and treasure as I should. So what is the Lord’s antidote for a heart that might be tempted to “steal”? Seeking first His Kingdom and doing useful work to share with those in need.
When I seek my own “kingdom” instead of God’s, I frequently look to money to provide me what I want or to solve a problem. But Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:24, “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” He goes on with the encouragement in verse 25 that “therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?” He knows we have physical needs, and He cares about those, but He reminds us that the time, talent, and treasure entrusted to us by God are for His kingdom, not our own.
An overflow of placing God first in our lives is that we will work for and give to those in need in obedience to the Lord. This furthers the Gospel. Those “in need” are certainly the materially poor among us, but also those poor in spirit who need the abundance only found in Christ. We may not be able to go on a mission trip or participate in every ministry opportunity, but we can be part of this Kingdom work through our generosity to the local church and to local and global missions.
Prayer: Lord, show me the ways I steal from you or others to build my kingdom. Turn my heart back to you and guide me to work and generosity opportunities that will serve those in need of material or spiritual blessings. Amen.