“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You can’t serve both God and Mammon.” Matthew 6:24 WEB

In life, we make a lot of decisions. We sometimes make good and sometimes make bad choices. When it comes to God and Mammon, a person either chooses to serve God or follow worldly ways. Considering God and Mammon, the choice is between the Creator or elements of creation. One thing is clear however, free will means making choices and choices indicate a preference.

When faced with two options, many wonder, can’t I just have both? There may be times when this is possible, but in a spiritual sense, Christ says otherwise. Confronted with choosing between serving God and material wealth, our devotion cannot be divided. We cannot place priority on both. One will obviously take precedence over the other. Choosing to serve material wealth, or mammon, we violate the commandment that forbids placing other things before God. In doing so, we worship the creation instead of the Creator.

Treasures in Heaven

When it comes to worldly wealth, in Matthew 6:19-21 Jesus instructs us to think beyond the physical world saying, “Don’t lay-up treasures for yourselves on the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consume, and where thieves don’t break through and steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. WEB” We cannot serve God and mammon.

Concerning the things needed in this world Jesus says in Matthew 6:33, “But seek first God’s Kingdom and his righteousness; and all these things will be given to you as well. WEB” It isn’t wrong to want good things. We can devote our lives to God and still have material success. It is simply a matter of priority.

Yesterday’s Devotional: His Own Son