Do Something Useful

A sibling of mine once told me about a group of guys he worked with when he was in the military. Apparently, these guys had come from rough neighborhoods and difficult family circumstances. If memory serves me, I seem to recall him mentioning that some of these guys had criminal backgrounds. However, he said the military items they were in charge of maintaining were some of the best-kept equipment in the unit. I may have some of the details wrong, but you get my point. They focused their energy into something positive and productive. The Apostle Paul was in the midst of telling the Church at Ephesus about living as “Children of Light,” when he said, “He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need (Ephesians 4:28).” Basically, he is saying that if you are a Christian and have been committing the sin of stealing, stop and do something useful with your hands. In today’s Christianity, when someone who we believe to be a fellow Christian is found to be stealing what normally happens? They are told things like, “You have to confess your sin to God and ask Him to forgive you.” This plays itself out in various ways depending on what a particular church or individual believes. All of it is designed to “restore” fellowship between the individual and God or, as some believe, “regain” their salvation. But, Paul simply said stop stealing and do something useful. Paul knew that while stealing is a sin and not the behavior God wants from His children, the individual was already forgiven, still had their salvation and never lost fellowship with God. 

While Paul didn’t mention it here in Ephesians, in another place in scripture he writes, “Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted (Galatians 6:1).” I think it is fair to say that if someone were to talk to this individual who was caught stealing they would not only remind them of their identity in Christ, but also Who their God is. They would probably say things like, “If your God owns the cattle on a thousand hills (Psalm 50:10), don’t you think He could sell one and give the proceeds to you?” or “If God says He will meet all your needs in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19), what need is there for you to take another’s possessions?” Finally, “If you have been given everything you need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3) and been blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ (Ephesians 1:3), how is stealing a physical object going to meet a spiritual need only God can meet?” An individual may need to repair their relationship with the person they stole from, but the lesson to be learned is to, “Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you … (1 Thessalonians 4:11).” If you are stealing, or committing some other sin, stop stealing and make yourself useful. When you are loving your neighbor you aren’t sinning against them. Therefore, you can mind your own business as you rest in all you have in Christ and the work you do will be a benefit to those around you. All of this will only strengthen the bonds you have with those in your family, your church and your community.