"No man can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”
Matthew 6:24
Whom do you serve? —Are you torn between two loves?
Most people believe that the Bible says, "Money is the route to all evil, or the root of all evil." However, money is not the route to evil or the root of evil; it is the love of money that is the root of all evil. —The choice is simple, is God your provider or your money?
Let’s be honest, money is used to purchase or transact an exchange for the goods and services we need. In our modern society, it is the rate of exchange for a determined value for the work we do. If we lived in a society that worked only on a barter system, we would use something else. There are societies all over the world where people barter or exchange knowledge, information, talent, skill, etc., for food, room, board, goods and /or services. However, for most of us, cash money is the exchange currency we use. It allows us the freedom of choice to select, as we wish, those things that we may not otherwise have access to. The issue is, do we recognize that God is our provider and not the money?
I listened to a young woman, a well-known performer, tell an interviewer how she had just finished a nine-day concert tour attended by thousands of fans; yet, upon going back to her hotel room, she felt complete loneliness and an innate longing for someone to care about her, as a human being—not a performer. During the same interview, in a moment of introspection, she told the interviewer that, the overwhelming thought of how God had blessed her life, had moved her to tears. So much so, she began to ask Him the question, “Why me?” In other words, "Lord, why have you blessed me so abundantly?" The depth of honesty in her question was truly emotional, for her and the audience. It made viewers stop to think about their own blessings.
A few days prior to this, I listened as she spoke to another interviewer while they traveled via limousine; he asked her about her extraordinary wealth.
“You have done quite well in marketing your "brand." —What about the money?” He asked, smiling. His fine British accent polishing what would otherwise be a truly tacky question.
“It’s just money,” she said matter-of-factly. “—It buys things.” He nodded in agreement, then added, “Yeah, —but it’s good to have it!”
“I don’t really think about it.” She said, “That’s what it allows you to do, —not to have to think about getting it. There was a time when we didn't have it.” She continued. “Yeah, now we don’t have to think about how we are going to pay the bills. —That’s what it does; it allows you the freedom to not have to think about it.”
Don’t get confused about money. Sometimes it is a by-product of something you have done. Sometimes it is a windfall, a spontaneous blessing through no effort on your part. But, it is not your provider; it simply allows you to be able to do whatever it is that God has planned for your life, monetarily. But, don’t be fooled. God is the provider, and there are multitudes of things that are accomplished every minute of every day without the originator spending one dime of their own money. If God is your provider, whatever you need in order to accomplish His will, can easily be accomplished whether you have money or not, surpassing your greatest expectations.
Just remember, you will have to eliminate the confusion of trying to serve two masters. —So, make up your mind; is God, Jehovah Jireh --your Provider, or is it your money? L.
Study Reference: Matthew 6:24, 1 Timothy 6:6-12, 6:17-19, 1 Chronicles 29:11-12
From: "Whom Do You Serve." In The Master's Hands: 365 Daily Devotions for Everyday Living.
Copyright © 2014 by Lavona E. Campbell
photo: shutterstock
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