Reading through the BibleProject’s plan on the Ten Commandments, I was struck by the simplicity of the instruction in the eighth commandment: “Do not steal.”

In some ways, this commandment represents a shift away from a scarcity mindset.

Why does a person steal? In its simplest form, stealing happens when we see something we don’t have and become driven by the desire to have what someone else has. Stealing becomes the quickest way to get it.

The apostle Paul gives us a very different instruction:

“The thief must no longer steal. Instead, he must do honest work with his own hands, so that he has something to share with anyone in need.”
—Ephesians 4:28 (HCSB)

The answer to what we desire is not stealing. What if the answer begins with a change in mindset—from scarcity to abundance?

When we move toward an abundance mindset, we do honest work. And when we truly embrace that mindset, generosity becomes the natural outflow of our lives.

Paul calls the Ephesian church to make a fundamental change: move from being a thief to becoming a worker—a person who works hard and honestly.

But why are we to work?

The typical answer might be: to save, accumulate, and have more.

Paul gives us a different answer. He says we are to work “so that” we have something available to give to “anyone in need.”

Our work is not ultimately about the accumulation of more. It is about having something to share.

The scarcity mindset says, “Giving to someone in need is risky. What if I need this myself?”

The abundance mindset says, “God has given me the ability to work so that I can be a blessing to others.”

Perhaps the opposite of stealing is more than simply respecting what belongs to someone else. Perhaps it is learning to trust God enough to work honestly, receive gratefully, and give generously.