Matthew 6 – Part 8 – CAN’T I SERVE GOD AND HAVE MONEY TOO?
The simple answer to that question is “You may have it, but just remember it’s not yours!” In Luke 14:33 (NLT) Jesus says “...you cannot become My disciple without giving up everything you own.” When I realise it all belongs to God, I view my riches through His eyes and use it for His purposes. I may give it up to God but then He directs me to use it well for His purposes for my family and for others.
God gives us a choice – serve God and let Him provide for my physical needs, including a job and money or serve your selfish desires. You can do either one. He won’t stand in your way. It’s either let Him direct the use of His resources in my life, to serve eternal and spiritual purposes, or serve Earth and store up material and temporal things without really making any use of them other than for a self-centred lifestyle.
1 Timothy 6:5-11 (NLT) says “...true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it. So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content. But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money (notice it says “the LOVE OF MONEY” not “MONEY”) is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows. But you, Timothy, are a man of God; so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.”
Jesus goes on to say in Mattthew 6:22 (NLT) “Your eye is a lamp that provides light for your body.” This is saying that it has to do with what I concern my life with, with how I view life, with my motivations. My eye is a lamp that provides light for the body. It gives my body information that is essential if I am to perceive and respond to my surroundings. What I look at is determined by where my heart is, what I am motivated by.
“When your eye is good, your whole body is filled with light.” When I am motivated to look at things from God’s perspective then just as God is light, so too do I see things that enable me to adjust my course depending on the path God has for me ahead. I can stay on course, know where I am going, have a greater appreciation of all that God intends.
“But when your eye is bad, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is! Here it is! If the motivation of my heart is wrong (let’s say concerning money) then I cannot respond to the world around me in the way that God intends. I am walking blind and worse than that, I am believing that I have sight, that I actually know what is best for my life. To be blind and not know it is the worse blindness of all.
“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” If I only see money in terms of accumulating it for worldly purposes and not using it for Godly purposes, then I am being ruled by the love of money.
When I see money from God’s perspective then I can respond to the circumstances of life in the way God intends and I know that He will provide for me. “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need. “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”
God bless you Church as you use money, God’s money, in reflecting the pursuits of “righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.”
Pastor Ross
