Sihotang 1

Joshua Sihotang
Where is Thine Heart?
The eighth commandment reads, Thou shalt not steal. To many people, especially
Christians, this commandment does not seem very hard to obey. Christians find it quite simple to
refrain from stealing. The word steal is generally used only in the context of material goods in
society as of today. Thieves generally target peoples money, cars, or jewels. However, people
do not realize how often they are stealing from a person, something that is worth so much more
than temporal goods. It is worse to steal a persons time, emotions, and relationship with the
Lord rather than to steal their material goods. This kind of thievery goes unrecognized by many
people.
In society today, most grown men and women know of the term flirting. It is a term that
looks very innocent and entertaining. It normally does not seem harmful too say kind and funny
words to another person of the opposite gender to create a good self-image. Some go as far as to
look at it as a milestone of being a real man or woman, but inspiration and the word of God
clearly writes against it. Little do people know that the effects of flirting on both the recipient
and the person flirting are very compelling. When a person is flirting with someone else, they
are stealing that persons heart and emotions, which do not belong to them.
When a man or woman flirts with a person of the opposite gender, they give off a feeling
of value to the other person. If a man were to flirt with a woman (it is also common for a woman
to flirt with a man), the woman would grow a sense of security and attachment for the man who
has been flirting with her. In reality the man may just see her as one of the very few people
whom he may flirt daily, but the woman may see him as the love of her life whom she really
cares and longs for. Thus the emotions in the person who has been seductively talked may be a

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stirred but shortly later they may notice that the one flirting does not feel the same way as they
may feel for them. That is how man or woman can steal a persons heart and emotions due to
flirting. It is important to refrain from flirting in a courtship relationship, Ellen White writes in
the book Letters to Young Lovers,
To trifle with hearts is a crime of no small magnitude in the sight of a holy God.
And yet some will show preference for young ladies and call out their affections,
and then go their way and forget all about the words they have spoken and their
effect. A new face attracts them, and they repeat the same words, devote to another
the same attentions (Letters to Young Lovers 57).
To many Christians, flirting seems harmless if it happens before marriage, but Mrs. White
clearly states that it is not a light manner to trifle or flirt with a persons heart. This statement
brings out the problem that man and women have of calling out their affections towards a person
of the opposite gender and not remembering what impression they have left with the person.
Mrs. White also mentions that this is a sin that leads on to repetition. If a person were to
habitually find themself flirting with another person, there is a high possibility that they will
struggle with it during marriage. After flirting with many people, they may soon find their
partner not be attractive or lack certain traits which can lead to divorces and tensions. Even a
tiny little bit of flirting and trifling here and there can ruin not only the person being trifled with
but also the person performing the action.
When digging into the roots of flirting, it is all done out of lustful motives. In the act of
flirting a man or woman is not in a serious relationship with the other person, but simply
pursuing them for pleasure in the moment. It is written in Matthew 5:28, But I say unto you,
That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in

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his heart (Remnant). If you simply look at a woman in a lustful way you are committing the act
of adultery, now if that is so, what if a person speaks to a women in a lustful way. Every time
someone speaks in the manner in which he or she should speak to his wife, they are also
committing adultery in the eyes of God. It is not a light matter to steal the emotions and heart of
a fellow brother or sister.
Time is also a valuable resource that many people steal from their partner. It is not
looked at as something valuable, but the Lord holds us accountable for the time that we waste or
steal from one another. Time does not belong to anyone except the Lord. When time is stolen
from a person, it is indirectly stolen from the Lord himself. Mrs. White writes in the book Christ
Object Lessons,
The value of time is beyond computation. Christ regarded every moment as
precious, and it is thus that we should regard it. Life is too short to be trifled away.
We have but a few days of probation in which to prepare for eternity. We have no
time to waste, no time to devote to selfish pleasure, no time for the indulgence of
sin (Christ Object Lessons 342).
It is unwise for any man or woman to steal the time of one another. The Lord is preparing his
people for a great conflict that is about to come, and he calls for the time of his people. God
wants his people to be ready and founded in his love, not one anothers. It is not a sin to spend
time with your partner but a good question to ask is who has most of the time in the relationship.
People tend to dedicate more of their time to one another but they should work together and
dedicate their time to the Lord.
As slightly mentioned in the last paragraph, the biggest thing that can be stolen from a
person when it comes to a relationship is a persons walk with the lord. Very often people can

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lose their focus on the Lord because of a relationship. They become so indulged with their
partner that all they want to please is one another even before the Lord. One example in the
Bible is Herod and his sister in law Herodias. Though they are not directly married, Herodias
was able to steal the decision that Herod was going to make. Herod did not want to kill John the
Baptist but he was so pressured by Herodias that he disobeyed God and was willing to put John
to death. Although situations like Herod and Herodias are not common as of today, couples are
still able to steal the Lord from one another in different ways whether it be their church
attendance or even their morning devotional time.
According to Bible prophecy there is not much time before Christ comes again, but still
many men and women are not focused on what is really at stake. Matthew 6:33 writes Seek ye
first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Both men and women must continually seek the Lord especially in the moments they are living
in. That is the biggest struggle in the church of today. Many people are not truly seeking God
first. People are seeking their desires before the Lord believing that is the best option for them.
But the Lord clearly states that when you first seek a relationship with the Lord, He will make
the things fit in place. That includes fulfilling a persons desires to have a future spouse if that is
Gods will in their life.
All in all, the eight commandment is deeper then what many people think. All people
should be cautious to never steal a persons emotions, time, and relationship with the Lord. The
only way for this to happen is continually put the Lord before anything else including any
relationship. As you put the Lord first you can believe the promise found in Psalms 37:4 which
states Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart

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(Remnant). When a man or woman puts the Lord first, they can believe that God will give them
their desires and will truly make them happy.
Works Cited
The Remnant Study Bible With E.G. White Comments. Coldwater, Michigan: Remnant
Publication, 2009. Print.
White, Ellen Gould Harmon. Christ's Object Lessons. Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald
Pub. Association, 1941. Print.
--- Letters to Young Lovers. Mountain View, CA: Pacific Pub.
Association, 1983. Print.