God or Mammon?
No one 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 mammon [money, possessions, fame, status, or whatever is valued more than the Lord].
Matthew 6:24
The year is coming to a close and 2019 is soon to unravel. Many Christian faithfuls will crossover the year in church services. They will usher in the new year with God as they await the ‘word’ for the year. While many will be genuinely seeking out God, there will be those who will be seeking out His pocket. It is the latter that this post is directed to.
I know you, because I was once you. Shouting ‘Amen’ to declarations of wealth and prosperity, as I sought out breakthrough after breakthrough. I believed God wanted only but the best for me and as His child, I was entitled to nothing less.
I still believe this. Scripture tells me this. The problem however lay in the fact that I wanted all the promises, without the relationship. I was a Christian, but a religious one at best. I did what every good Christian was supposed to do. And when I didn’t, I repented. But if you asked me who Christ was, I would not be able to give you an answer from a personal knowledge of Him. I would give you the text book answer, because I did not really know Him. I knew about Him.
I am currently doing a Bible study on the People of the Promise by BSF International. So far in this study, we have encountered Joshua, Ruth, Samuel, Saul and David. Joshua and David have really stood out to me because of their personal relationship with God. In fact their relationship with God challenges me. They did not have the gift of redemption nor did they have the Holy Spirit IN them. Yet, they had an intimate relationship with God that is really exceptional.
And like with many who have walked closely with God, their paths were full of trial and tribulation. They were not shielded from life’s challenges because of their close walk with God. Yet, they did not waver in their faith.
And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak,Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms,administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment.They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated—the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground.
These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.
Hebrews 11:32 – 40
Some, unlike Joshua and David, did not receive the best of the world. But, they did not walk away from God. They stayed put. They stayed put through poverty, imprisonment, slander and death. They did not experience the material breakthrough we earnestly seek today. And these, are commended by God.
In one of the Bible study teaching notes, it was highlighted that with God, the way up is down. And that is where we fight Him. We fight Him in the ‘down’ as we seek him for the ‘up’. And many of us end up turning away from Him when we do not get the promotion, the car, the house or the spouse. And in that moment, we make the decision to choose mammon over God. And the choice is so subtle, you may not even recognize that you have made it. But before you know it, you will have walked so far from God, that He is at best an acquaintance and at worst, a stranger.
The traditional wedding vows go like this:
“I, ___, take thee, ___, to be my wedded husband/wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part, according to God’s holy ordinance; and thereto I pledge thee my faith [or] pledge myself to you.”
I find it interesting that we are able to make these pledges to our fellow humans, but we are unwilling to make the same commitment to God.
Your Turn:
Jesus promised us that in this world we shall have many troubles, but we should not fear for He has overcome the world (see John 16:33).
When the trouble comes, will you still stand by Him. When the sickness comes, will you still praise Him as healer even though the healing is not forthcoming. When the promotion you were expecting turns into a job loss, will you still acknowledge Him as Lord over your life?
Who do you choose to serve?