Listen

“No household servant can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be loyal to the one and have contempt for the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.”

Luke 16:13

Think

Singer-songwriter Bob Dylan once sang, “You’re gonna have to serve somebody. Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord. But you’re gonna have to serve somebody.” Jesus essentially said the same thing. We all end up intentionally or unintentionally serving ideals, systems, personalities, and movements. Often our actions are in conflict with what we claim to believe.

The way we view, aspire to, and make use of wealth is a strong indicator for what holds the highest place of trust and desire in our lives. When God is truly the highest priority in our lives, then wealth is merely a gift and instrument of God’s purposes. But it is easier said than done. Jesus made it clear that the desire for wealth can become master over the rest of our lives. What is most important in your own life?

Jon Brown

Pray

God, it is a constant struggle to remember that you are the one who provides our needs and that money and wealth are fleeting.

Teach me to trust you more fully and cultivate a healthier view of money and material things.

Amen.

Go

There are two bodies of water in Israel, both are fed by the Jordan River.

One is the Sea of Galilee: full of life and surrounded by lush foliage. For every drop of water that enters the sea it passes it on at the other side back into the river. It gives, and it lives.

The other body of water is also fed by the same Jordan River, but nothing flows out of it. This Sea has no fish, no seaweed, no plant life. We call it the Dead Sea.

Open your heart to opportunities to bring life to others and yourself by means of the gifts God has given you.