The Choice
Matthew 6:19-21;24 (NIV)
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also … No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
Jesus makes it clear that we all have a choice. God or money? It can’t ultimately be both. The teaching of Jesus throughout Scripture is that money is powerful. Money is quick to seize a hold over us. It tempts us. It promises much to us. We’ve been led to believe that money can protect us from harm. That if we have a large salary and good savings then we are secure in this world. We’ve been sold a lie that money can satisfy us. That holidays, nice clothes, a fancy car will lead to happiness and contentment. But none of this is ultimately true.
Our ultimate protection, our one true hope and confidence, is found in Jesus.
And so being a follower of Christ means we have a choice. Who are we going to back. Money or God? The more we look to or rely on money the more it will take a stranglehold on us. The more it will rob us. And the more we will become enslaved to it.
Why is it so hard to be generous with our money and treasure? Why do we battle with this? I think many of us struggle to give because we struggle to truly trust God. We battle to trust that he’ll provide.
I also think we battle to give and be generous because deep down we believe our money belongs to us. It’s in our bank accounts, so we should do with it what we want. If we view our treasure and riches as our property, we will always struggle to give and will miss out on finding true freedom in Christ. Everything we have, all the treasure, belongs to God. So faced with a choice let’s be generous in giving it away.
Prayer - Heavenly Father, you want us to be generous people offering our time, our skills and abilities and our money to your service. Guard us from holding tight when we should be letting go and honouring you as Lord of all we have