November 20
The Little Things
Add Up
"Do not steal."
Exodus 20:15 (NIrV)
Coby pulled a bottle of soda from the shelf and slid it into his backpack, checking over his shoulder. No cameras in this aisle. He had the timing down perfectly.
It wasn’t like he was robbing the store blind. It was just small stuff—a candy bar here, a pack of biscuits there. He worked hard, covering shifts nobody wanted, hauling heavy boxes in the warehouse, putting up with rude customers at the checkout. It wasn’t like the supermarket chain would miss a few dollars. They made millions. And what did he get? Minimum wage and sore feet.
The first time he took something, it had been almost an accident—a moment of impulse. But then it became a habit. It was easy. A little snack to get through the shift. A reward for dealing with difficult customers. A way to feel like he was getting back at a company that barely noticed him.
But lately, something had started to gnaw at him.
It was the guilt that came late at night when he lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. It was the way he avoided eye contact with the store manager when they chatted in the break room. It was the twisting feeling in his gut every time the security guard did his rounds.
He told himself it didn’t matter.
But deep down, he knew it did.
One evening, as he was clocking out, he walked past the manager’s office. The door was slightly open, and he could hear a conversation inside.
"Profits are down," the manager sighed. "Shrinkage is becoming a real problem."
"Yeah," said another voice. "We might have to cut hours soon."
Coby froze. Cut hours? He depended on this job.
He walked home in a daze, his backpack heavier than usual—not from the stolen soda, but from something else. A weight in his chest.
That night, he couldn’t sleep. The verse his grandfather used to tell him as a kid echoed in his mind: Do not steal.
He had always thought of stealing as something big—breaking into a house, taking money from someone’s pocket. But wasn’t he doing the same thing, just in smaller pieces? He wasn’t just taking from a faceless corporation. He was taking from the people he worked with, from his own paycheck.
For the first time, he saw his actions clearly.
Coby rolled out of bed and knelt on the floor.
"God, I messed up. I told myself it didn’t matter, but I know now that it does. Help me make this right. Help me be better."
The next day, his hands shook as he walked into the manager’s office. He took a deep breath.
"I need to tell you something."
Prayer:
Dear Lord,
Thank You for opening my eyes to the truth.
Like Coby, I have made excuses for things I knew were wrong.
But You call us to live in integrity, even in the small things.
Help me to be honest in my work, in my relationships, and in my heart.
Give me the courage to make things right when I have done wrong, and the strength to resist temptation in the future.
I trust in Your grace and ask for Your guidance.
In Jesus' name, Amen.
