Stealing From Family
Suppose there was a young man by the name of John who was born the son of very wealthy parents. John had every need met his entire life. Not only was his needs met but there was seldom a time in his life where he was told no. He had every luxury in life from the biggest televisions to the latest video games. When he turned sixteen, he had the choice of any vehicle he wanted. He settled for the black Hummer because they could not find the yellow one he wanted with the right option package. The credit card he carried had little restrictions. It would not be unusual to find John at the mall buying designer jeans or at the ATV store buying expensive upgrades for his 4-wheeler. John had tons of friends and was seldom alone. He did not have a girl friend because he enjoyed the freedom to date a different girl on the weekend depending on the circumstance of his elaborate plans. John’s parents tried to bring discipline into his life, but he always found a way around it and constantly pushed them aside.
John left home after graduation to attend the state university. Freedom was not anything new but having friends with similar freedom was. He was instantly as popular on the large campus as he ever had been in high school. The fraternity he chose was the grand party house of campus and he loved every minute of the lifestyle. The alcohol and women of the frat parties eventually turned to an experiment and eventual dependence on illegal drugs.
John’s parents soon realized the lifestyle that their son found himself. They begged him to return home. They begged him to find help. They eventually cancelled his credit cards and took away his vehicle. It was not long before John found himself hopeless. Lying on the table in his room was his keys, absent from a car key. It then hit him; I still have a house key. He waited for his parents to take one of their long vacations. He entered their home and took everything he could find of value. He took guns, jewelry and cash. He took precious family heirlooms. He began to sale them one at a time to finance an addiction that controlled his body.
What drives a person to steal from their family? What drives Christians to steal from their heavenly father? He has taken care of every need that we have. He has blessed us beyond measure. Yet we steal that which he requires from us.
Malachi 3:8-10
8 Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. 9 You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. 10 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.
John left home after graduation to attend the state university. Freedom was not anything new but having friends with similar freedom was. He was instantly as popular on the large campus as he ever had been in high school. The fraternity he chose was the grand party house of campus and he loved every minute of the lifestyle. The alcohol and women of the frat parties eventually turned to an experiment and eventual dependence on illegal drugs.
John’s parents soon realized the lifestyle that their son found himself. They begged him to return home. They begged him to find help. They eventually cancelled his credit cards and took away his vehicle. It was not long before John found himself hopeless. Lying on the table in his room was his keys, absent from a car key. It then hit him; I still have a house key. He waited for his parents to take one of their long vacations. He entered their home and took everything he could find of value. He took guns, jewelry and cash. He took precious family heirlooms. He began to sale them one at a time to finance an addiction that controlled his body.
What drives a person to steal from their family? What drives Christians to steal from their heavenly father? He has taken care of every need that we have. He has blessed us beyond measure. Yet we steal that which he requires from us.
Malachi 3:8-10
8 Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. 9 You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. 10 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.
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