Otherwise, I had a great morning. The kids were cooperative and happy to go to school and it seemed to be a great day. This had me thinking about our stuff. All this person got was money. The iPad will be turned off and they may even be caught. In the end, this will be a hassle for me that will only cost me the time on hold with Sprint this morning. It may cost them much more. Or they may get away with it. But who is this person stealing from me? What hole are they trying to fill with stuff or money? What is their morning like right now?
Proverbs 1:18-19 addresses the wicked saying "But they lie in wait for their own blood; they ambush their own lives. So are the ways of everyone who gains by violence; it takes away the life of it possessors." They look to make themselves rich but are digging their own grave. Paul tells us in 2 Cor 8:9 "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich."
I have the eternal riches in Christ Jesus that can never be taken from me. But am I building up those riches and investing my time for that kingdom or am I more focused on things of this world - things that can be taken from me, stolen, or destroyed.
For the thief dying on the cross, he saw the righteousness of Christ and in his last breaths he was saved to eternal riches - far beyond what he had ever stolen. Such is grace. This person who steals - they are poor and needy. Not because they steal for gain, but because they cannot gain what they truly need without Christ.
Casting Crowns writes in their song "All you ever wanted" - "You gave me life worth dying for, but between the altar and the door, I bought the lies that promised more. Here I go again."
It is so easy to be distracted by the shiny and new or by the growing bank account or the newest gadget or coolest car. As a believer I have the one thing nothing in this world can ever take away but my eyes drift towards stuff and things.
PauĊ writes to the Romans "For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (8:38-39)
So often we quote these worlds in times of extreme distress or potential death. I have it underlined in my bible with prayers for family and friends facing incredible trials, like depression or cancer. But today they come to mind for a different category - "nor any other created thing".
We overwhelmingly conquer all things in Him - even the mass media and temptation of our eyes to look to find joy or contentment or security in what we claim we own. Created things do not have a hold on us unless we let them. The world focuses on owning - our pride is puffed up by what we can claim to be ours. Even this thief who came into my life might be feeling some strength or superiority by being able to take some thing from me - they are powerful because they can take from others. But Jesus "who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond servant and being made in the likeness of man." (Philippians 2:6-7)
I am praying for that person in Henderson Nevada who stole my account information for an iPad. I am praying someone shares with them the gospel and they learn what true richness means. And I'm praying that I keep watch of my own heart, to focus on the riches in Christ, rather than pursue the created things of this world. "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?"
