Is it right to turn another’s misfortune into our gain?

The days of 38-cents-per-gallon gas are long gone.
Customers at a San Antonio convenience store found
Tuesday, however, that the good old days had returned.
It was too good to be true, and that may explain why no
one told store manager Jim Duke about the price on his
premium gasoline.

Duke became suspicious when he saw larger-than-usual
crowds at the premium pump. When he went out to
investigate, he realized an error had been committed.
The price should have read $3.89 per gallon. By the
time the pump was turned off, a substantial amount of
money had been lost to opportunistic customers.

On Monday of this week a motorcyclist suffered
misfortune when a bag he was carrying ripped. Money
began spilling out on Interstate 10 near Los Angeles.
In the midst of speeding traffic, many people stopped.
They didn’t stop to help the motorcyclist, though;
they were helping themselves to the cash. Most of them
sped off when the highway patrol arrived.

“Too bad,” many will say about such incidents. “They
should have been more careful with their property.”
But is that the response God wants His people to make?

Deuteronomy 22:1,2 addresses such a situation:

“You shall not see your brother’s
ox or his sheep going astray, and
hide yourself from them; you shall
certainly bring them back to your
brother. And if your brother is not
near you, or if you do not know him,
then you shall bring it to your own
house, and it shall remain with you
until your brother seeks it; then
you shall restore it to him” (NKJV).

We all suffer misfortunes and losses. Sometimes the loss
occurs because of our own negligence. Irresponsibility
doesn’t change God’s expectations, though. If we see that
another has suffered loss, we should not declare open
season on the misplaced loot.

The ultimate measure of our actions in any situation is
found in Luke 6:31: “And just as you want men to do to
you, you also do to them likewise.” Jesus’ Golden Rule
is an easy standard to apply. If we would not want others
to do something to us, then we should not do the same to
them.

Instead of an opportunity to stuff our pockets, maybe this
is an opportunity to help a person recover or minimize
their loss. “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do
good to all, especially to those who are of the household
of faith” (Galatians 6:10).

–Tim Hall

[polldaddy poll=2271333]

Get a FREE on-line Bible commentary on the book of Romans through www.abiblecommentary.com.  You may also get a FREE daily devotional by subscribing to my rss feed – http://abiblecommentary.com/blog/feed/ or follow me on twitter.  I also operate a Christian blog on blogspot.