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

Serving requires devotion and devoting yourself to something requires, well, your whole self!  For example, you can’t devote yourself to becoming rich and devote yourself to serving God. It is not the presence of money that zaps devotion to God, but it is easy to devote of one’s energy to the pursuit of money.

Ask yourself these two questions to determine the focus of your devotion. First, do you have a thirst to know God? We’re quick to be distracted by other things. When we’re devoted to God, we are eager to know God and God’s will for our lives more and more. Like the Apostle Paul said, “I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings…” (Philippians 3:10).

Second, do you find yourself justifying ways to serve yourself? It’s not wrong to take care of yourself, but indulgence that leaves no time or energy for others shows that we are devoted to our own will more than we’re devoted to serving God. Pursuit of money is only one of many ways in which we serve ourselves.

Following Christ clearly requires putting one thing down to take up another. We set aside living to gain money only for ourselves and devote ourselves to God and what He values. These two masters are not only different, they’re enemies (James 4:4). What is your most treasured pursuit today?  Jesus said, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21).

 

Resource reading: Matthew 6:19-24