God or Money
Scripture Reading — Matthew 6:24-33
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 God and money.
Jesus makes clear that we must choose who will be our master—God or money. As God’s servants, he wants our total allegiance. Let’s compare these two masters.
The Lord tells us to “seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Money says we should hold on to what we have so that we can be secure. God says that we reap what we sow (Galatians 6:7). Money says we should do whatever it takes to get ahead because “the person with the most toys wins.” Jesus said, “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s [in taxes] and to God what is God’s” (Mark 12:17). Money says it’s OK to cheat the government because they are poor money managers anyway. God calls us to be generous. Money calls us to be selfish and to hoard our wealth. God says, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). Money says we should not give, because we will not have enough to provide for our needs.
As Christ-followers, we make a difference in our world by living in a way opposite to the god of money. As our faith in Jesus grows, our lives are marked by selflessness, generosity, and love. The world hungers for Christ and the richness he brings through us.
Whom do you follow?
Father, we commit our lives afresh to you. We trust in your unfailing love and look forward to the creative ways you will provide for us. Amen.
About the author — John Kuperus
Since he was young, John Kuperus has had a passion that everyone would know Jesus. Spreading the good news that “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15) is very important to him. To be better equipped for missions, John attended Reformed Bible College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He applied these skills with marketplace evangelism in a business he started in Sussex, New Jersey. This calling continued to follow him, so John attended seminary and became a minister in the Christian Reformed Church, serving a church in Ontario for eight years. Currently he serves as a missionary for Youth with a Mission (YWAM). He witnesses Jesus changing lives as people walk out of the darkness into the light. John is married to Helen, and they have seven children.
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