This can be read in Ephesians 4:28, Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. (New King James Version)

Apostle Paul’s intention is clear, we should gain wealth or property through honest work. We must come into possession of things in a way God approves.

The word labor means to exert effort to the point of exhaustion. We know that we need to work to satisfy our personal needs and wants. But as Christians, we were also encouraged to give freely any excess to others in need. Paul says,  Acts 20:35, “I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

We all know that stealing is totally against God. It is the work of the devil and lazy people. When God created us, He created us in His image, and if we are gaining possessions through stealing and refusing to work, then we are not following the natural order of God that He wanted us to do. 

Stealing begins when a person desire for something or someone but has no money to purchase it or that person is unwilling to work to purchase it. Stealing is a relative of lying and deception. A person tries to acquire a desired possession in such a way that the others think he obtain it honestly.

There is a saying that “There are hundred ways to steal but only one way to be honest.” So, if we want to be honest, do not steal.

What good is it if we are one-half or three-quarters honest?

What if God was honest with us only part of the time?

Could we trust Him?

Can others really trust us if we are only partially honest?

Do we lock our doors because we trust everybody?

Stealing must be avoided not only because it is a sin against God, if we stop stealing then we start to be honest. And if we are honest to ourselves and to others, we do the same to God.

If we can not be honest at least to our self, do we think we can be honest to other people?

If we have the integrity within ourselves, we can live confidently before men and most especially before God.

The apostle John writes in I John 3:18-19: “My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him.” Personal integrity is a major source of positive, confident living.