Choose God
As we take a really good look at our heart motivations this month, exploring with God why we do the things we do, why we really do the things we do, I’m reminded of Jesus’s perspective.
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
~ Matthew 6:33 NIV
It all comes down to heart posture, where or to Whom we give our focus, but that oft-quoted reminder to “seek first the kingdom” is not an isolated sound bite. It comes as part of a wider conversation around day-to-day needs.
Any time we read a “but” in the bible I get quite excited. “Therefore” and “however” are interesting to me too because all these words join whatever it is we’re reading to what came before.
But seek first his kingdom. Therefore I tell you, do not worry. There’s so much more going on here than we might appreciate when we first read Jesus’s words.
To really understand the wider context, we need to go all the way back to verse 24. Why? Because it’s joined onto what comes later with the magic word “therefore”.
“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.”
Living as we do in 2022, we all too easily lose the wider context of what Jesus is talking about when he introduces the idea of serving God or money. Some older translations replace “money” with the word “mammon,” which doesn’t help much if we don’t understand what mammon really is. Too often the words money and mammon are used interchangeably as if they mean the same thing. Spoiler alert: They don’t!
Every time Jesus mentions mammon, he doesn’t simply say that serving God and mammon is a bad idea. He says it’s physically and spiritually impossible to serve both. They are diametrically opposed!
So is Jesus telling you not to have anything to do with money? How are you meant to pay your mortgage or keep yourself in coffee and chocolate if money is opposed to God and therefore not to be touched? What is Jesus really saying here?
Mammon is an ancient aramaic word which includes wealth, riches and money but, according to authors Craig Hill and Earl Pitts in their book Wealth, Riches & Money, mammon also denotes an entity that exists in the spiritual realm. (And yes, I’d highly recommend that book for anyone looking to get a good, biblical grounding in finance from God’s perspective. Don’t be put off by the out of date cover. It’s a superb read!)
The contrast introduced by Jesus between God and mammon would have been understood by His audience at the time as a contrast between two spiritual entities, but this understanding is all too easily lost by us today, setting us up for confusion and guilt. We live in the world’s system, buying and selling, working for a wage which is paid to us using money, so what are we meant to do?
Here’s the good news … God knows your needs. The conversation that started with a warning about serving mammon continues (thanks to the magic word “therefore”) with a reminder of just how cared for you really are.
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?
Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? … So do not worry, saying, “What shall we eat?” or “What shall we drink?” or “What shall we wear?” For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
You are more precious to God than a bird! Your Heavenly Dad knows what you need. He understands you have obligations to meet, bills to pay and family members to provide for. He’s not going to leave you high and dry!
Seek first His kingdom, His way of doing and being right - the attitude and character of God, and all the other things will be provided too because He is a good Dad and He loves you.
It all comes back to heart posture and choosing where and in Whom you put your ultimate trust. God is your source. The job that pays you a wage is simply a resource delegated by God to support you for a particular season.
The money itself has no power. What does have power is the spirit of mammon, seeking to draw your focus, love and attention away from God - but only as much power as you give it. You are a child of God, co-heir with Christ. All power and authority has been given to you through Jesus. God has power and authority. You have power and authority. Guess how much power the enemy has? Absolutely none, unless you give up some of yours!
What does all this have to do with the motivations of our heart? Everything! Because Jesus said it … you can serve God or you can serve mammon but you can’t serve both!
Choose God. He knows what you need, He’s got your back and you can give any and all worries to Him. How? By returning daily - hour by hour, minute by minute sometimes - to the One who loved you, saw you and knew you as He laid the foundations of the world!