24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth. 25 “For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? 27 And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? 28 And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, 29 yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! 31 Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ 32 For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34 “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. [Matthew 6:24-34]

The Bible is clearcut about this matter: if you love wealth, you hate God. If you love God, you hate wealth. No gray area exists when it comes to the relationship between God and money. Love one and hate the other. How can this be possible? We can love God and wealth but love God a little more, right? We do this all the time. We prioritize and put God and wealth on the same list. And at different times in our lives, God and wealth compete for the top spot as the most crucial thing in our lives. 

God says, “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.” If we serve money or material things to any degree, God waits for us to repent and leaves us. I cannot stress the importance of this conditional relationship. If we love wealth to any degree, God leaves. We may go to church, read the Bible, and pray, but God has left the building. He is gone. We must examine ourselves: are we going through the motions of being a Christian without actually having God in our lives? If we serve wealth and money to any degree, God is no longer a part of our lives. 

And if we love wealth, it takes on a life of its own. Money and wealth are some of the most powerful entities in the world. People live and die for money. Once we love wealth, it works tirelessly to alienate us from God. Its principles are opposed to God’s laws. To keep our love affair with wealth alive, we break His commandments. We sacrifice God and His principles. Wealth puts us at enmity with God. 

Next, wealth obstructs our relationship with God. With all its amenities and enticements, it enslaves us.  If we have too many hands in the pot, that is, one hand in serving God and the other hand in serving wealth, it does not matter how successful or rich we become. The sauce is spoiled. God leaves us. Our salvations are for naught. Whenever we love wealth and make it a priority, it will always get in the way of our relationship with God. 

Finally, the wealth we serve ends up destroying us. How many people have you seen crushed by the very wealth they pursue and attain? When we serve wealth, it’s never our friend. Money always works to destroy us. 

If we serve God and hate wealth, how are we supposed to survive? God says, “Do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink… So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself.” Serve only one master, and He will take care of you! Our health and wellbeing hinges on God, not wealth. Do not worry because everything happens according to God’s will. Our only job is to serve God. What does it mean to serve God? Follow His commandments! Do as God says and leave everything in His hands. Liberate yourself from the trappings of money and wealth. Live a worry-free life through God! 

Our first step as Christians must be to settle the issue of wealth and money. We cannot serve two masters. If we serve wealth to any degree, God leaves us. We are left alone to grapple with misery, worry, and heartache. Serve God, and do not worry about money or wealth! If we follow His commands and live according to His laws, God takes care of all these concerns. Do you want to live a worry-free life? Serve only one master!

Summary

1. We cannot serve two masters. 
2. When we serve wealth: a) Enmity with God b) Obstructs relationship with God C) Destroys us
3. Serve God, follow His commands, and He takes care of everything. 

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