When I was a little girl, my mother bought my shoes at Sears. She made me wear ugly brown lace-up shoes because of some problem with my feet. I hated them!

One afternoon, we paid our semi-annual visit to Sears to choose a new pair of ugly brown lace-up shoes. I remember that it was cool, and I was wearing my winter coat.

We sat in the row of chairs waiting our turn with the salesman, and a rather large lady came in and sat next to me. She also had on a winter coat.

I had placed my prize possession in my coat pocket, a wallet. I had either a one-dollar bill or a five-dollar bill in the wallet along with some pictures that I cherished.

When we left the store, I reached into my pocket. My wallet was missing. My mother immediately took me back to Sears where we searched under the chairs and talked with the salesman to see if someone had turned in the wallet. The wallet had not been turned in.

This wallet was of little value to anyone but me. I think it was plastic, and it couldn’t have been worth much money. But to me, it was a treasure. The contents of it meant everything to me.

The lady sitting next to me had to have taken the wallet from my pocket. I remember asking my mother, “Why would she do that?” My mother tried to console me, but nothing she said made me feel any better.

It is strange that I remember that story so vividly, but it was so hurtful. It still gives me a sad feeling because of the pictures.

It has been more than twenty years ago that a man broke into our house and stole my jewelry. He took the pearls my husband gave me as a wedding gift, and several other pieces that were very special to me.

Why do people take things that don’t belong to them? I guess they do it because they can.  Whatever their reason, such behavior is simply stealing. Paul said, “Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need” (Ephesians 4:28).

But there are ways in which we can have something other than our possessions taken from us. This kind of theft is even more damaging to us than the theft of our physical possessions.

There are those that would try to steal our good name. Someone gossips about us, telling things that are exaggerated, or just untrue. They make insinuations that cast doubt on our character. Solomon said, “A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches…” (Proverbs 22:1).

There are those that would try to steal our faith. By belittling our beliefs, they create an image of extremism. This sometimes leads others to mock us, as was the case with Noah.

We have no specific incidents of mocking in the Genesis 6 text, but you know it happened. When Noah started building the ark, a structure larger than anything the people had ever seen, you just know the people laughed at him. I doubt they were laughing as the waters rose, and the boat began to float.

There are also those who would try to steal our hope of eternal life. They might do this is a variety of ways—challenging our beliefs, tricking us into believing there is no God, tempting us with the pleasures of this world.

Many have been subjected to some of the preceding temptations.  Jesus was tempted by the devil but resisted him (Mt. 4).  There was the rich young ruler who refused to give up his wealth (Mt. 19).  Judas gave in to the devil as we see from Jn. 13.

We will always have those who try to steal from us. It may be our possessions. It may be our faith. It may be our good name. It may be our hope. Maybe it will be something else, but those who do these things are from the devil.

There is one solution to this problem. “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you” (James 4:7-8). 

Sandra Oliver