“No one can serve two masters. 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
both God and Money.” Matthew 6:24
Riches are dangerous because their seductive power often causes people to
reject Christ and His kingdom. The rich young ruler who turned sadly away after
being told that he had to part with his riches to inherit salvation prompted
Jesus’ statement, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of
God.” (Luke 18:24; Mark 10:23; Matthew 19:23)
A desire for riches can cause people to do almost anything—even to the extent
of selling their souls. The result, Scripture warns, is anguish now and
damnation later (1Timothy 6:9-10). An abundance of possessions can easily lead us to forget that God
is the Source of all good. The people of Israel were warned of this before they
entered the Promised Land (Deuteronomy 8:11-17).
The pursuit of wealth often results in wars. James 4:1-2
says this clearly and it is amply confirmed from world history. Instead of
fostering more compassion toward the poor, riches often harden the hearts of the
wealthy. Rich persons are often unconcerned about the poor at their doorstep.
(Luke 16:19-31; Isaiah 5:8-10; Amos 6:4-7; James 5:1-5)
Money is not neutral; it is a power with a life of its own. It is a power
that is even demonic in character. When Jesus uses the Aramaic term
mammon, translated as money in the NIV, (Matthew 6:24)
to refer to wealth, He is giving it a personal and spiritual character as a
rival god. Mammon is a power that seeks to dominate us.
Hence, money is an active agent. It is a law unto itself—capable of inspiring
devotion. It is tremendously instructive to stand back and observe the frantic
scramble of people for money. And this does not occur just among the poor and
starving. Even the super rich still seek it furiously. The middle class continue
to buy more houses, acquire more cars and purchase more clothes than they need.
If money were only a medium of exchange, it would make no sense at all to attach
such prestige to it. We value people in relation to their income. We give people
status and honor in relation to how much money they have or appear to have.
We can have all the Christian externals and yet be complete materialists
in our hearts.
RESPONSE: I choose to serve God, so I will not give money any place of
prominence in my life or in my heart.
PRAYER: Lord, I need Your help today to stay focused on You and not on all
the “things” around me.