You must make a choice, according to Jesus. “No servant 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 (Luke 16:13).” What did He mean when He said this? How does it apply to you today?
God is exclusive. We are to worship Him alone. Remember, He’s the same God who said, “You shall have no other gods before me.” Riches have the power to hold and control the heart; if money is what is king, then money you will serve. This is an either/or choice and a challenge to you. There is no middle ground or sitting on the fence in this situation. Choose this day who you will serve.
“You can’t serve both God and money” is a powerful statement. Slaves couldn’t work for one master in the morning and another in the afternoon, it was 24/7 slavery and service. Referees make two different calls in a March Madness basketball game and you can’t serve both. Robert Frost wrote, “Two roads diverged in a snowy wood, and sorry I could not travel both.” All of your life will be spent in service to someone (or something); who will you serve, God or money? Double-mindedness is distracting and damning. There is no neutrality: either faithfully serve God with what He’s given you or serve the wealth, serve yourself, serve the system. Don’t pretend to do both. You can’t.
Believers and followers of God must have values and actions that reflect God and His kingdom. What’s important to you must be what is important to Him, and that is seen in what you love and serve. This is difficult and demands discipline and training, a continuing cleaning up, conviction, and commitment. We often fail in this because of our sin. We’d prefer to return to our vomit, we’d prefer to drink dirty water from broken glasses. We confess our sins and get back on track, God gets us back on track. It is a process, and “God’s still working on me, to make me what I ought to be.” The good news is that God receives His people back when they blow it – that’s the gospel, that’s grace. Get right today with God.
We must fight the good fight of faith to stay focused and serve God, not money. The Word, prayer, and church are our weapons we yield. We fight for this with faith in Christ and following Christ. It is ultimately about what we love and worship. God can change your heart of stone into a heart of flesh. He will open your eyes and give you new affections and passions and desires to serve Him above everything else. Love the Lord and be devoted to Him today.
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