By Felix A. Montelara
Author & Host of the Potential Millionaire
Matthew 6:24
English Standard Version (ESV)
24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.
In the last episode of Potencial Millonario, I talked to you about the strange taboo that exists about money- in that money is a topic that many people will avoid discussing until they are really in trouble with it. Most financial problems could be solved early on with appropriate planning and budgeting, but because of the money taboo, many people will not ask for advice and will make dangerous decisions, such as taking out title loans, skipping payments, or hiding the problem from their family. It is often only when a person becomes desperate that they will finally ask for help, and usually I find that most of the problems could have been avoided if they had asked sooner. These financial problems can bring ruin to a marriage and destroy a family, causing people to lie to each other, hide the issues, and bring huge amounts of stress onto relationships. Debt is a terrible master, and serving debt is like signing yourself over to servitude. So I ask you, is money the problem, or is it the fact that people won’t talk about money, and therefore don’t understand money, that is the problem? Friends, that is exactly why I began this radio program and website, this is why I wrote the book Potencial Millonario: to help you understand your money and make it work for you!
In Matthew 6:24, it states, “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” Let me make something clear: Money is not your master. When you take my advice or follow my golden rules, or when you decide that you want to be financially free, or that you want to start saving money, or that you want to become wealthy, you are NOT serving your money. You are NOT making money your master.
On the contrary, when you decide to have a responsible lifestyle in which you have a budget, an emergency fund, a savings account, when you save for what you want to buy instead of using credit, when you discuss money with your family and involve them in this process, when you do these things you are NOT serving money. You are making your money serve you. You are making your money work for you. You are being a good steward of God’s bountiful gifts, you are taking the opportunities the God sets before you. You are following God’s word as written in the over 100 verses in the Bible that deal with money. So, my friends, when you are financially free you can serve God.
If you are in terrible financial trouble, if you are worrying day in and day out, if you are lying to your family, if you feel guilty because you cannot get a handle on these things- you need to ask yourself if you are serving money or serving God. Is there time in your day, amidst your money worries and stress, to give time, thanks, and devotion to God? Or do you instead find your discussion with God always starts with, “Why me?” Friends, as Matthew 6:24 states, “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” Be the boss of your money, make your money work for you, so that you can do God’s work. You will love the financial freedom, you will love the relaxation that comes from knowing that you have control of your money. This will free you to do the wonderful things that you are capable of with your God-given gifts and talents.
Footnotes: Matthew 6:24 Greek mammon, a Semitic word for money or possessions
Related articles
- Serve Two? (wisdomfromgodsword.wordpress.com)
- What It Means to Love Money (gofamint.wordpress.com)
- Midweek extra: Mammon (atelesergon.wordpress.com)
- World Illusion (knowltonss.wordpress.com)
- How Scripture Instructs Us To Act With Money (potencialmillonario.com)
