…and that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister. The Lord will punish all those who commit such sins, as we told you and warned you before.
1 Thessalonians 4:6 NIV
Wronging Others
Fraud is the number one crime against older Canadians. Though people of all ages can be victims of fraud, older people get targeted more than others. Some of the reasons are that they are often home during the day to answer the door or phone, they can be more trusting and they may not have family or friends close by to ask for a second opinion. Con artists don’t just target people who have a lot of money. They use a variety of ways to reach people, including the Internet, phone calls and even door-to-door visits.
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We hear too often about Christians who have been scammed out of their life savings by a person in their church that offered them something that did prove to be too good to be true. We hear about pastors who instead of being loving shepherds abuse those they are called to love and care for. None of this surprises the Lord Jesus. He knew that such people would infiltrate His people. Paul writes this in 1 Thessalonians 4:6: “…and that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister. The Lord will punish all those who commit such sins, as we told you and warned you before.” God cares deeply about how we treat one another, especially within the family of faith. To wrong another person is to forget that they are precious to God. To take advantage is to step outside the boundaries of grace and into the shadows of selfish desire. Today, let’s walk carefully, loving deeply, and honouring others as God has honoured us in Christ.
These have been words from the heart.
Bob Beasley