Jesus said, “You cannot serve God and mammon (wealth). For this reason, I say to you, do not be worried about your life . . .” (Matthew 6:24-25). It is good to pay attention to such phrases as, “For this reason.” It lets you know that there is an explanation for what was just said. Notice that “mammon” and “for this reason” are linked together. In verse 21, Jesus said, “for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (read 19-34 for full context). In short, it would be easy to chase after riches instead of God, and to store up earthly treasures instead of the heavenly. Some might say, “I don’t care about worldly riches”; nevertheless, their focus is always on money. Their life-decisions are connected to money. Unfortunately, they are failing to store up treasures in heaven because they’re too busy building up their “nest egg.” They’re allowing money to determine their destiny instead of God.
Because of worry over needs, a number of people will not do what the Lord asks of them. They are afraid of lack, which also reveals a lack of trust in Him.
Jesus, Himself, said your Father in Heaven knows what you need even before you ask. Oh, wait a minute, perhaps what some actually need and their idea of need differ. Does this relate to what they treasure? Money is neutral. It’s neither good or evil; however, what makes the difference is a person’s view and usage of money. 1 Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. Getting back to our premise; anxiety leads to serving mammon.
Sometimes, a small nudge can put someone completely off course. If a ship or an airplane were to change course by a fraction of a degree, it would completely miss its intended destination.
A person who worries over the bills can change focus from seeking God to seeking money. Sure, you need money to pay bills. Perhaps, some of those bills would not exist if what they were attached to, didn’t have such a high priority. Credit card companies are making a fortune from out of place priorities. It is wrong to have things? Of course not; unless, those things have your heart. There are some cool “rags to riches” stories. What makes them cool is that those who moved out of poverty and into wealth, kept their priorities straight. Their possessions didn’t possess them. In fact, as far as they’re concerned, they belong to God. They are willing to give them away at a moment’s notice, and indeed, they actually have done just that. They consider themselves to be God’s stewards. They are wealthy; not rich. There’s a big difference, and that’s another lesson. However, being wealthy doesn’t necessarily mean someone has boatloads of money; although, he or she could. Likewise, there’s a difference between being poor and living in poverty. The latter is attached to a victim mentality. Likewise, that’s another lesson.
When a person chases after needs out of fear, and once those needs are met, he may chase after more. Fear and greed sometimes walk in lockstep. Once the basics are covered, the desire to store up can be misplaced. Good stewardship includes planning for the future, but we still have to leave the future in God’s hands. We cannot afford to put our trust in uncertain riches, it must be firmly fixed in God. Beware of covetousness, it is better to chase after God than the “mighty buck.” Matthew 6:33 But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Our Father knows what you need, do you?
