The people I work with all know I’m a Christian and I do my best to show them exactly what being a Christian is. The opinions vary. One person I work with always challenges me in various ways, mostly concerning science and evolution. Recently he posed a new challenge; one concerning right and wrong.
This person’s opinion is that since us Christians have all the answers we must also have a “holier than thou” attitude. In reality I can see how he could get that opinion with the way some Christians act. Anyway, my friend came to me and asked my opinion on something that had happened to him over the weekend. He had gone to the Home Depot and paid for his items with his debit card. As he was leaving the store a clerk ran up to him and said “Sir. You forgot your change.” The clerk was holding $50 in cash. My friend said that he knew he didn’t select to receive any cash back and he knew that the money wasn’t his, but he took it anyway. Here is how the conversation went (I’ll call my friend “Rod”):
Rod: So, would you have taken the money?
Ed: No I wouldn’t have. If I looked at my receipt and saw that I didn’t accidentally choose cash back, then I would not have taken it. That’s stealing.
Rod: Do you know how much those stores make in a single day? $50 isn’t going to ruin their business.
Ed: That doesn’t matter. It’s still wrong.
Rod: Oh like you’ve never stolen. Have you ever taken money that wasn’t yours?
Ed: Yes.
Rod: So what’s the difference?
Ed: None. I am equally as guilty as you are. The thing is that you need to understand why some people go to hell because of their sin and some people go to heaven in spite of their sin. The reason that happens is because of Jesus. Jesus is the difference.
Jesus is the difference. Jesus. Jesus!
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4 comments:
Ed
We're blessed that a small group of us at work have been able to meet for a weekly bible study. We do it once a week over lunch. It's very uplifting.
I find this story to be interesting because before I was a Christian I might have kept the money. Since becoming a Christian, I know that I would return it.
What would be the point of sinning so deliberately? Why cause that pain to the God that saved me?
Good job, Ed. It IS stealing, and it IS wrong. What if the young clerk had to make the difference up out of their pocket? What if the tables had been turned and Rod had been the cashier?
This guy is a work associate (emphasis on the first 3 letters) NOT a friend, Ed. You are what you run with and you are not that.
Interesting. I'm kind of surprised that you let the threat of hell figure so prominently in your reasoning. Knowing you, I think of you more as one who is drawn by God's goodness, than motivated by his wrath. True?
In the end, it isn't the words you or I choose that matter. Just being willing to enter into these discussions is a way of showing God's love.
Jackie - Good observation. Typically I don't dwell on hell when trying to talk to people about God. I find it is much more appealing to them to show how He has loved me and brought me into a life that provides meaning and purpose as well as a feeling of peace even in times of great trouble. But occasionally, as in the case of this person, I felt the need to sort of shock him a bit. It’s one of those things where you have to understand the history of our conversations. One last thing though, I do think it is important for everyone to understand that we all will spend eternity somewhere; either hell or heaven. After all, we who are saved are saved from what?
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