READ Ephesians 4:17-32
Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.
-- Ephesians 4:28 (NIV)
After graduating from business school, I worked as the administrative manager and controller for a hardware store chain. Back in those days, the bank would mail monthly statements for each checking account to our home office. Included in the envelope were the actual cancelled checks. On one occasion, I noticed in the check register that a payment had been made to the lawn mower repairman out of the home office account. I asked our bookkeeper why that occurred because that type of invoice would normally be paid out of a store checking account. He said the store ran out of checks so he wrote it for them.
A month or two later, I discovered the bookkeeper had given himself a larger raise than was specified by the business owner. The thought of that lawnmower repairman check came to mind. I asked to see the canceled check for that transaction but it was missing. I asked the bookkeeper where the check was and he stormed out of the office.
I immediately had another employee review every bank statement since the bookkeeper started working there, and note every canceled check that was missing from the envelope. I then took the list of missing checks to the bank. They gave me printouts of the missing checks from their microfiche records. I learned that the man used one check to purchase a riding lawnmower for himself, while he used another to pay off his credit card bill. The total stolen was about $28,000.
The bookkeeper later paid back the stolen funds, plus interest and a penalty, with the help of a church friend. The business owner decided not to press charges.
Likewise, if we admit our sins before God, strive to make restitution to others when appropriate, and ask him to forgive us, he’ll pay our debt and won’t hold our sins against us.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
It’s better to settle accounts now, than wait for God to press charges later.
Prayer: Father in heaven, please help us to be honest in all we do and make restitution when required.
Prayer Focus: THIEFS
Rick Stockwell is employed as an IT Program Manager, teaches Sunday school for kindergartners, is an elder at his church, has been married for thirty-five years, and has two children and five grandchildren.
Rick is also the author of two novels in his Heavenly Realms series called The Wall and The Battle. Audio, eBook and paperback versions are accessible via this link: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B07HQ8G3MJ
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