Money and God
No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
Matthew 6:24
I find it necessary to examine my life each day to determine if I am serving two masters. It is easy to be worldly thinking that everything we have is ours, when really we are stewards of all God has given us. Satan wants us to be possessive and claim exclusive ownership of our money and possessions.
Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. (1 John 2:15) This verse is asking the question, does my heart desire more things of the world or does my heart desire more things of God? For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:21) Every Christian needs to carefully examine their heart, because Satan is always trying to pull us into this greedy, sinful world.
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by the yoke of bondage. (Galatians 5:1) If our heart seeks worldly treasures then we can be caught in the yoke of bondage. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Matthew 6:33) If we put the Lord first in our lives, then through his love and power we will have our earthly needs met, and we will be content. Our heart is for God and we receive his divine blessings which are better by far than worldly things.
In today’s world, there are many people and companies that put money as priority, thinking if we have more money we can have a luxurious, fulfilling life. I have experienced working in industry where the schedule is more important than fully testing the product. With the amount of and the complexity of products today, they are often delivered with software errors. This kind of attitude is dangerous when lives are at state, such as in the airplane industry. This is example of how money has become the driving force of companies.
A person cannot serve money and God — it’s like serving the world and trying to serve God. A good test of how important money is to us, is to look at how we spend it. If we truly treat our money and possessions as stewards, knowing everything belongs to God then we will use everything in a way that pleases the Lord and brings him glory.
Today, take note that everything belongs to God and be a thankful steward. This attitude will result in a thankful heart and bring you closer to the Lord. Today, see yourself living in the world but not part of the world by ministering to the world from the Kingdom within you.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for everything you have given me to live in this world as your servant. Help me to use everything, including myself for your glory. In Jesus’ name, Amen