You Don’t Have To Settle For Second Best!

Here is food for thought:

“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” – Matthew 6:24 There are two distinct camps here – you have to choose one or the other. The separation lines are clear: Master vs slave; love vs hate; devoted vs despised and money vs God. A chasm is clearly visible. It’s a case of one or the other, you can’t have both things.

Those who seek after money will be consumed by it because it becomes an insatiable force. It controls their body, soul and spirit and propels them in its direction. Enough is never enough. They succumb to this force and love what is evil and hate what is good. What does God require of us? Matthew 22:37-40 says, “Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Scripture tells us to love the Lord with ALL your heart. This is the first commandment found in Deuteronomy 6:4-5. Why is it number one? It is repeated in Matthew 22:37, Mark 12:30 and Luke 10:27. This repetition is there for a reason; we are to stop and ponder its message and implication. It prevents us from being lured into the pitfall that Satan himself engaged Jesus in before the start of His ministry. Matthew 4:8-10 says, “Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”

Loving God does not mean having a life without money and being poor. On the contrary, we lack nothing when we put God at the epicentre of our lives. Psalm 34:10b says, “Those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.” Notice, the next command in Matthew doesn’t say ‘labour and set up your kingdom on earth’ (get yourself established financially) but rather ‘love your neighbour as yourself’. Why? When you serve God faithfully with all your heart, you have compassion on your fellow man. Those who run after material wealth have blinkers on; they do not see the plight of their suffering fellowman. Not only do such people become a slave to their money, they despise others less fortunate as well. Sadly, when they die, they meet a sorry end and all their wealth cannot save them. The story of the rich man and Lazarus found in Luke 16:19-31 aptly illustrate this point of serving money.

Psalm 112:1 says, “Praise the Lord. Blessed are those who fear the Lord, who find great delight in his commands.” There is divine covering over those who make God Lord of their lives. Psalm 112: 6-8 adds, “Surely the righteous will never be shaken; they will be remembered forever. They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord. Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear; in the end they will look in triumph on their foes.” This means that their devotion to God will be rewarded in time.♢

Linda Pearl