We are a nation of thieves

In many ways, America is a nation of thieves.

Everyone knows about shoplifters. The U.S. catches 4 million each year, but for each one that is caught, 35 get away with it. But employee theft is even worse. Employees take three times as much as the shoplifters. Studies show that 9% of employees steal on a regular basis, and 75% steal to some degree.

One of the Ten Commandments was very clear: "You shall not steal." And the Bible told the story of some famous thefts that all led to bad consequences. One of the best known was the story of King David, who literally stole Bathsheba, the wife of one of his trusted soldiers.

So, what are some of the ways we may be stealing? Following are eight ways that people may be stealing and not even know it.

1. Stealing from your employer.

The Bible told us that we should work for our employers "with sincerity of heart; serving wholeheartedly... as if you were serving the Lord, not men," in Ephesians 6:5,7. Employees should give an honest day's work for their paycheck and certainly not secretly browse Facebook while still "on the clock" at work.

2. Stealing from your employees.

That being said, the Bible clearly warned employers to treat their employees fairly.

"Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty," in James 5:4.

3. Stealing from your customers.

There is an old Latin warning that translates into "Let the buyer beware." And yet, the Bible said that God delights in honest business people.

"The Lord abhors dishonest scales, but accurate weights are his delight," in Proverbs 11:1.

4. Stealing from the poor.

The Bible spoke often about protecting the poor and said we are committing robbery if we oppress the poor and needy.

"The people of the land practice extortion and commit robbery; they oppress the poor and needy and mistreat the alien, denying them justice," in Ezekiel 22:29.

5. Stealing from your lender.

We should be diligent to not only pay the debts we owe, but also be careful to return items like books, tools and dishes we have borrowed.

"The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous give generously," Psalm 37:21.

6. Stealing from the unfortunate.

You won't find any place in the Bible where it says, "Finders keepers, losers weepers." Instead it labels such a practice as a form of stealing.

"If anyone sins and is unfaithful to the Lord by deceiving his neighbor about something entrusted to him or left in his care or stolen, or if he cheats him, or if he finds lost property and lies about it. He must return what he has stolen or taken by extortion, or what was entrusted to him, or the lost property he found," Leviticus 6:2-4.

7. Stealing from the government.

Honesty and the law demand that we pay our taxes and not attempt to steal from the Internal Revenue Service. Jesus implied the same when he said, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's," in Matthew 22:21.

8. Stealing from God.

We have so much for which to be grateful. It's important to recognize God's hand in what we have, and make sure we don't steal the credit for our achievements from God by assuming our efforts are the sole reason for the blessings we have.