"No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money."

Luke 16:13, NIV 

 

Of all the passages in Scripture, this may be the one that we struggle with the most. We waste vast amounts of time thinking about our various money problems. We lie awake at night worrying about money. We hoard money whenever we can so (we tell ourselves) we won't have to worry about having enough in our retirement years. Why do we do these things, I wonder?

 

After all, money is just a tool... isn't it? A carpenter needs a hammer to do his work, but do you suppose that he spends his day just thinking about his "hammer" problems? A plumber uses a plunger in his work, but you never hear of one lying awake at night worrying if somebody is going to break in and steal his plunger. A baker needs an oven to bake her cakes, but you never hear of one "hoarding" ovens for her retirement?

 

So why do we as servants of God spend so much time thinking about money and worrying about money and hoarding money whenever we can? Again, isn't money just one of the many tools that the Christian uses in his or her service to the Master? Still, we try to prove that we can serve both God and money... even though God warns us that we cannot. As a result we invariably end up being devoted to our money instead of God, even though we try and fool ourselves into thinking that this is not the case.

 

So, what are we to do? I always like to think about this example from my past whenever I am having a problem with perspective in money: When I was a cook at Kentucky Fried Chicken I never worried about running out of chicken because I was just an employee. Furthermore, while it was true that I had to do my part in making sure that the chicken got cooked and telling the manager when it looked like we were running short, it was still the boss' job to make sure that I had everything I needed. And even as a lowly employee, I instinctively knew that the boss would do his job to make sure that I could have the opportunity to do mine.

 

It's the same with our relationship with God! While we have our part to do, God will always make sure that we have all of the necessary tools we need, including having the opportunity to make all of the money we need, in order to serve Him. After all, that's what we are here for in the first place!

 

Jesus put it this way:

 

"So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or, 'What shall we drink?' or, 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself."

Matthew 6:31-33, NIV

 

Today is day 20 of the 90 day commitment to study through the New Testament. The chapters are the 14th , 15th, and 16th chapters of Luke.