The Seventh Commandment in Everyday Life: More Than a Mask and a Gun
The Seventh Commandment is short enough for a child to memorize and deep enough for a lifetime: “You shall not steal” (Exodus 20:15). Most of us picture obvious theft—breaking in, shoplifting, fraud. And yes, God forbids those plainly. But His command is also more expansive and protective. He is guarding your neighbor’s life and livelihood—because your neighbor’s “stuff” is not just stuff. It’s rent money, groceries, medicine, a paycheck, a tool that feeds a family—real things tied to real people.
That’s why “stealing” includes more than taking what isn’t yours. It also includes the quieter ways we can cheat, hide the truth, or benefit from someone else’s weakness: with hidden fees, misleading promises, careless “borrowing” with no intention to return, doing sloppy work while charging full price, or looking the other way when we know something isn’t right. Scripture warns, “A false balance is an abomination to the LORD, but a just weight is his delight” (Proverbs 11:1). God delights in honest dealing because it protects people.
This is not meant to make you paranoid or guilty about every transaction. It’s meant to make you clear-eyed and kind, generous and forgiving. In a world where everyone is tempted to get “a little extra,” the Christian is called to be trustworthy. That can be as simple as telling the truth, charging what you agreed, paying on time, and refusing to game the system. And it can be as humble as saying, “That was my mistake—let me make it right.”
The Gospel doesn’t turn us into anxious accountants; it makes us new people with renewed hands. Scripture gives a beautiful picture of repentance that becomes active love: “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). Notice the movement: from taking → to working honestly → to giving. Christ doesn’t just forbid evil; He grows generosity in place of it.
If you want one gentle practice for this week, here it is: choose one way to “do business” a little more cleanly and lovingly. Pay what you owe. Return what you borrowed. Make your word dependable. If you’re a seller, be clear and fair. If you’re a buyer, be honest and thankful. And if your conscience is pricked, don’t run from it—bring it into the light with the Lord, who is “faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). That cleansing isn’t only comfort for your heart; it’s help for your neighbor.
