Lots of Questions about Money

I am a regular contributor to Quora. Even though I wanted to be available to answer Christian-related questions, sometimes I get asked questions about money and wealth. Lots and lots of questions about it. Seems people are pretty fixated on riches. Anyway, here’s one answer I wrote back to Quora in response to this question:

Why do people have the urge to steal stuff if they have money?

From a Christian viewpoint, we call the tendency to do dumb stuff like stealing, “sin.” We’re all tempted, at one time or another, to do things we shouldn’t simply for the thrill of it. It’s like tasting the “forbidden fruit” — that rush we get from doing something we know is wrong —just to be rebellious. We hope we won’t get caught, and that’s adds to the thrill of it; a sense of excitement from getting away with something we shouldn’t have done.

Stealing may be a short-term thrill... until you get caught.

I assume a person who has lots of money yet still chooses to steal is doing it for the thrill of it. Perhaps he’s doing it as a cry for help, too. Sometimes people do stupid stuff because they don’t feel noticed, or seen, by others. It’s negative attention. But ultimately, it all boils down to our struggle with sin. No one is immune to it, and it’s been happening for all of humanity.

God warned Cain, way back at the dawn of civilization, that sin must be conquered or it will conquer you. “If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.” (Genesis 4:7.)

We must rule over sin or it will rule over you.

— Lisa Quintana

The biggest lie about sin is that there are no consequences. That’s deception. Here’s the truth – if you’re not caught now, you’ll be caught eventually (even if it’s on the other side of this life). So, if a rich man steals and gets away with it, he may attempt it again just for the sheer thrill of it. Eventually, however, it will catch up to him. Sin always does.

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9 Comments

  1. Melissa McLaughlin September 5, 2019
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  3. Melinda Viergever Inman September 6, 2019
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