[Jesus said,] “You cannot be the slave of two masters! You will like one more than the other or be more loyal to one than the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
I tell you not to worry about your life. Don’t worry about having something to eat, drink, or wear. Isn’t life more than food or clothing? Look at the birds in the sky! They don’t plant or harvest. They don’t even store grain in barns. Yet your Father in heaven takes care of them. Aren’t you worth more than birds?
Can worry make you live longer? Why worry about clothes? Look how the wild flowers grow. They don’t work hard to make their clothes. But I tell you that Solomon with all his wealth wasn’t as well clothed as one of them. God gives such beauty to everything that grows in the fields, even though it is here today and thrown into a fire tomorrow. He will surely do even more for you! Why do you have such little faith? Don’t worry and ask yourselves, “Will we have anything to eat? Will we have anything to drink? Will we have any clothes to wear?” Only people who don’t know God are always worrying about such things. Your Father in heaven knows that you need all of these. But more than anything else, put God’s work first and do what he wants. Then the other things will be yours as well.
Don’t worry about tomorrow. It will take care of itself. You have enough to worry about today.                       Matthew 6:24-34 (CEV)
Of all the Scriptures from this Mount sermon, I think this is the one that I am the most quick to say, “Yes. OK. You’re right, Lord.†and then just as quickly fill my mind with reasons why it won’t really work or this passage isn’t for me, today, in the 21st century.
It is exactly for me right now.
There is no other time in the history of our existence where money isn’t at the forefront of our minds and directs our decisions. If I want to “get real†with God, then look at the priority I put on making money and where I spend what I make. Take an inventory of what is in my house, dividing each item under “need†vs “wantâ€. It is not just about whether I can afford the items. Is it God’s wisdom and plan that directs my spending? Am I hearing Him directing me to opportunities to serve His children who are in need? Am I missing the blessings that He wants to give to me?
I believe that many times my fixation on money is because I am worried. Yes, the very thing that Jesus tells me not to do. And He gives very convincing words on why I shouldn’t worry. Bottom line: it doesn’t do any good! It does not extend my life or make a problem “betterâ€. Jesus states quite emphatically that I should put God’s work first in my life and the Father will provide all that I need.
And there is the two-fold problem. First, I am not really completely committed to God and His way in my life. Second, I am not really convinced that God will provide for my needs…the needs that I have determined. And so I am not really committed to His way…and it becomes an endless circle that can only be changed when I make a change.
This Scripture passage is hard. It demands in-depth and ongoing study and prayer. It is not to be dismissed or hastily interpreted in my life. It requires the Holy Spirit to carefully and thoroughly examine my life; my very thoughts. And then I must accept God’s truth and make corrections as He directs. This passage is a core principle in my life as a disciple of Jesus Christ. A life in which He handles all the worry.
“Choose this day who you will serve, Jody!†(Joshua 24:15)
