"No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money" (Matt. 6:24).
Please take the time to ponder how you think about your money and possessions in general (or lack thereof). Although it is not wrong to own things (otherwise I would be in trouble), I do not think we fully comprehend the weight or the implications of Jesus' words. My hope is that these three thoughts would provoke thoughts of your own.
First, if you love money then you hate God. Period. You cannot love and serve both of them at one time. Your heart will either be attached to God, or something else. Whatever the object may be, it is unworthy of your affection which belongs wholly to Christ.
Second, this is a constant battle for the Christian. While you are on this earth, your heart will flip back and forth from God to something else and back again. However, you can never love them both at the same time. Imagine it this way. You are in a hallway between two kitchens. God is the cook in one kitchen and your idol is the cook in the other. You are able to serve either one, but you cannot serve both at one time. Just as you can never be in both kitchens at once!
Third, although this verse may seem extreme or exaggerated at, it is not a difficult concept to grasp. We know that a soldier cannot fight for two sides. Nor can an athlete play for two coaches. It's not that we don't understand how a person can't serve both God and money, it's that we don't want to understand.
Not only is it impossible, but it's just plain stupid to try to serve both God and money. No one likes a person who's constantly on the fence about things. Imagine a quarterback who throws half of his balls to his receivers and the other half to the defenders. Such a quarterback would be despised by both teams. Likewise, you're not helping anyone by switching sides all the time. Find where your loyalties are and stick to it. Christ is worth your full devotion.
No comments:
Post a Comment