When you are the victim of theft, it’s not quite that funny. My wife and I were at the San Diego airport, preparing for an overseas trip, when a man behind us spilled some lotion on Donna’s bag. He apologized profusely as he wiped away the mess; meanwhile, with the other hand, he was tucking away her purse.

By the time Donna realized it was missing, the man was long gone. We were fortunate to have our passports in hand, and some friends brought us money to tide us over. We went on to Europe, but we had a hard time focusing. We felt violated and began to eye every other traveler with distrust. In the United States today, property theft occurs in some form every three seconds.15 We are not alone.

There is such a thing as stealing because there is such a thing as ownership. God dignifies us as His children by giving us work to perform, property to maintain, and rights to uphold. These principles are well established in Genesis 1 and 2, which describe God’s creation and intentions for us as His children.

God is the true owner of all things. He says, “All the earth is Mine” (Exodus 19:5). David writes, “The earth is the LORD’s, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein” (Psalm 24:1). We are the stewards of what He has entrusted to us; this is His way of helping us grow, proving our wisdom as we bear fruit with these resources.

Imagine a world in which people obeyed this commandment. How much simpler life would be. Instead, we only find new ways to steal through technology. Identity theft is now a serious billion-dollar crisis. The music and movie industries have been shaken by online pirating, the widespread theft of intellectual property.

There are only three ways to acquire property: to work for it, to receive it as a gift, or to steal it. In the apostle Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians, he addresses all three in one verse: “Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need” (4:28).

Stealing demonstrates contempt for others and contempt for God. But honest work does just the opposite. It shows respect for others and gratitude to God for the opportunity to use our gifts and skills. Giving goes even further. It shows love for others and faith in God’s love —He will provide.

In this commandment, God is asking us, “Can you trust Me to provide for you? I will meet your every need, and I’ve given you a way to grow and find great satisfaction in acquiring your property through honest work. How will you feel about yourself if you get caught up in a cycle of seizing what isn’t yours?

“I don’t want that for you, and thus I have said, ‘You shall not steal.’ ”