Serve God, Not Money

The LORD is infinitely worthy of being worshipped, obeyed, and served. The best way to live life is to devote one’s whole being to him. Wholehearted devotion to God pleases him and brings blessing to the followers of God. A life of surrender to God involves some practical commitments. The LORD as the Creator, Savior, and Supreme Ruler demands obedience in all areas of life. This includes one’s heart attitudes towards money. The Lord Jesus implied that money is a god that many people worship or serve. Yet he clearly declared the divine standard or requirement: Man cannot serve both God and money (Matthew 6:24-25). Man serves God when his priority is pleasing God and his life is structured, prioritized, and organized around God and what pleases God. The person who serves God is concerned primarily about doing what God wants. He or she says “no” to temptations to gain more money if the commitments required to gain more money might result to him not being able to follow through on his commitments to God. He is willing to lose the chance to get more money in order to be faithful to do what he promised to God. On the other hand, the person who serves money schedules his activities in such a way as to get as much as money as he can (at least enough to satisfy his wants or to stay competitive with other people he is racing against for worldly success). He or she makes excuses for missing his personal times with God, times with his family, times for spiritual development (cell group, Sunday worship gathering), and ministry commitments. He pays lip service to God being number one in his life, but the use of his time and money very clearly shows that money, not God, is the one he serves or worships. The person who serves money is not available to God or the work of God. He is consistently inconsistent as far as the things of God are concerned. Who are you serving? Is it God or money? If it’s really God, may you continue to have that right priority. But if its money, may you turn from that idolatry (see Ephesians 5:5) and return to the right priority. The LORD deserves your wholehearted devotion. Give it to him. It will please him and bless your life with true riches.