The commandment not to steal is found in almost all ancient societies with written laws. Why is it so prevalent? Well, there was no way then or now to protect all your stuff all the time. If you couldn’t count on your stuff being protect, there was no real way or motivation to do business with others. And society would spiral out of control. Seems like motivation enough.

Yet, in God’s commandment, we find more than common sense. The commitment to not take what isn’t ours – in all areas of life, whether it’s taking money from someone or taking credit for something we didn’t do – is rooted not in common sense, but in the belief that God will provide what we need so we don’t have to take it from others.

Scripture - Exodus 20:15