Stealing Is a Sin?

True story. The parents called the pastor in a panic. Their son had been caught stealing and they foresaw a future of arrests and prison terms for armed robbery or maybe even worse.

The pastor set up an appointment and the parents showed up with their son – a five-year-old. When the pastor asked the boy why he took the toy from the store shelf, tears flowed from his eyes as he murmured, “I didn’t know it was wrong.”

Within a few minutes the pastor discovered that the boy had heard the word “stealing” at church and from his parents, but no one had explained the meaning. He saw his parents take things they wanted from the shelves of stores and yes, he knew they stopped and gave the clerk some money, but the process did not connect in his mind. He wanted the toy, so he took it. Once stealing was explained, the boy had no desire to take something that didn’t belong to him. And that was that.

No one had told him stealing was wrong.

In another example, my high school girls’ Bible study was doing a series on morality. In the course of the study, abortion came up and I explained why I was pro-life, based on the value of each human in God’s eyes. A couple girls looked at me astonished. “We never thought about that. At school they just tell us that abortion is a good option. I never thought about the biblical viewpoint.”

No one had told them abortion is wrong.

In Awana we teach kids that sin is anything you think, say or do that goes against what God says in His Word.

That’s true and kids learn that definition early. But what are those “things” that God talks about in His Word and do our kids know what they are? We can’t assume that our five-year-old understands stealing or our 13-year-old understands sexual immorality.

Just some thoughts …

… Explain the sins appropriate to a child’s age. Stealing, dishonesty, jealousy, disobedience, complaining are all good ones for young children. As they grow older, a parent should add others to the list. For instance, a parent might not explain sorceries (Galatians 5) to a four-year-old, but an in-depth discussion with an older child is necessary.

… Talk about different aspects of the wrongdoing. Dishonesty is defined as not telling the truth, but dishonesty is also cheating on a test at school, not giving mom all the change you got after buying your lunch or exaggerating as you share about the hit you got in the ballgame. (You made it to first base. You didn’t get a homerun.)

… Be positive in your discussion. Instead of emphasizing what a child shouldn’t do (dishonesty, disobedience, complaining) emphasize what he can do. Talk about what it means to be honest, obedient, joyful, etc.

… Discuss these things when everyone is calm. Subjects discussed in the heat of a punishment aren’t usually as effective. (Again, a lot depends on your own calmness.)

… Explain that God (our Creator) has certain guidelines for our lives because He knows what’s best and wants what is best for us. Following Him is an honor and a privilege.

… Ask kids questions. We need to make sure they comprehend what you’re telling them.

… Make sure that your child understands salvation. (John 3:16; 1 Corinthians 3:14,15; Ephesians 1:7; 1 Peter 3:18).

As adults, we sometimes throw out words and concepts to our kids without defining them. The parents in the story above were concerned that their son was headed for a life of crime when actually all he needed was an explanation of a term.