Give Up Serving Mammon

How realistic is it to touch your nose with your toes? That's it; impossible! The same is applicable in living both for God and for worldly riches and gains. It's either one or the other; you can't serve two masters.

Our Lord Jesus made this clear in the Gospel according to Luke that “No servant is able to serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other… You cannot serve God and mammon [riches, or anything in which you trust and on which you rely]” (Luke 16:13). Many today devote most of their time chasing shadows, garnering fleeting treasures of little or no eternal relevance. Their daily goals centre on making a living that they eventually forget to live.

A sad reality in the world today is that people have placed the love of money and riches (mammon) higher than the love for God in their hearts. Men turn blind eye towards the need for God; their desires for the manifestation of His glory have been shattered. Self-sufficiency is enthroned, and what do we see? Entropy reigns.

For such puerile pursuit, families wallow in agony. Marriages have stooped to divorce. Togetherness, oneness and other tenets that strengthen family ties have been jostled to the rear because mummy has to work and daddy has to meet up with deadlines. Relationships are now anchored on money, thus the twisted axiom: 'for better for stay, for worse for go'.

Apostle Paul tagged such people as those whose god is their belly (Philippians 3:19). They forget the words of the Preacher: “He who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver, nor he who loves abundance with gain….” (Ecclesiastes 5:10-11).

Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, sounded a warning against such trifling pursuit of money, telling us to pay more attention to what counts for eternity. He said “…Guard yourselves and keep free from all covetousness; for a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions” (Luke 12:15).

When our lives are driven by the thirst for wealth and abundance or possessions, we scorn the purpose of God for our lives and subject His grace and love to ridicule. However, God is not against us having money and prospering in life. But He is against whatever will take His place in our hearts. And if God is displaced at the centre of our hearts as one whom we serve and live for, crisis, chaos, depression, disappointment and misery are inevitable.

“Do not gather and store up for yourself treasures on earth, where moth and rust and worm consume and destroy, and where thieves break through and steal… But gather for yourself treasures in heaven… For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matthew 6:19-21).We are to “set our affections on things that are above, where Christ, is seated at the right hand of the God…” (Colossians 3:1-3).

The world is rushing on to perdition. All you see today may not be there tomorrow. “Vanity upon vanity, all is vanity”, says the Preacher. But have you counted the cost if your soul is lost due to money and the things of this world? What shall it profit you if you gain the whole world and lose your soul? (Mark 8:36-37).

If Christ is all you have, then you have everything. Remember what He promised that “there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God who will not receive in return many times more in this world and, in the coming age, eternal life” (Luke 18:29-30; Matthew 19:29).

“We brought nothing into this world and obviously we cannot take anything out of the world; but if we have food and clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who crave to be rich fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and hurtful desires that plunge men into ruin. For the love of money is a root of all evils…” (1 Timothy 6:7-11).“Let your character be free from the love of money and be satisfied with your present situation…”(Hebrews 13:5).

If you are among the influx of people caught by the web of the love of money and are only concerned about life on earth forgetting eternity, now is the time to “seek the Lord while He may be found… and He will have mercy on you” (Isaiah 55:6-7).
Make this hymn your daily prayer as I do:

Thou, my everlasting portion,
More than friend or life to me;
All along my pilgrim journey,
Saviour, let me walk with Thee.

Close to Thee, (x4)
All along my pilgrim journey
Saviour, let me walk with Thee.

Not for ease or worldly pleasure,
Nor for fame my prayer shall be;
Gladly will I toil and suffer,
Only let me walk with Thee.

Close to Thee, (x4)
Gladly will I toil and suffer,
Only let me walk with Thee.

Only to walk with God, serving Him in spirit and in truth, and living for His glory by faith in Christ alone should be your purpose in life. All other things really do not count. Live everyday of your life with eternity in view and pressing forward to attain that crown of righteousness Apostle Paul talked about (2 Timothy 4:7-8).

“All has been heard (read); the end of the matter is: Fear God and keep His commandments; for this is the whole of man [original purpose under the sun] and the whole duty for every man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it is good or evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14; Romans 2:16).

If God is whom you truly serve, faithfully continue. If you have made mammon your lord, desist and defeat it in the name of Jesus.Now is the acceptable time to give up serving mammon!Standing at the crossroad is one dangerous place to ever be. You have to make a choice between God and mammon. The truth remains that you can't serve two masters.  It's either God or mammon. What will it be?

Reference: Amplified Bible
==Written by: Jacobs Adewale ===

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