Do you ever read some Bible verses thinking ‘thank God that’s not my problem’? But once you dig a bit deeper you realise that it’s exactly your problem? I share a Bible verse today that had that kind of effect on me. It’s from the sermon of the Mount. Jesus tells us that we can’t serve both God and mammon. I nod wistfully like a Pharisee and I am thankful money has never been an issue for me. (I have many other struggles but money has never been that special to me). But then I read the verse in the Amplified version of the Bible:

“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 mammon [money, possessions, fame, status, or whatever is valued more than the Lord]. (Matthew 6:24, AMP)

God or mammon?

Mammon is not just money, I read. It can be fame, status, or whatever is valued more than the Lord. Hence I do not get off the hook. I sink deep: I am guilty as charged. Mammon is anything valued more than the Lord, mammon is the world itself. When the world tempts me in any way to put God on the back burner, I am a fool to cave in. And when I put my life and my plans and my dreams first and God second, I sin. Who is my master? God or mammon? Me? Money? Success?

Truly, I need a Savior. I mumble like the tax collector: ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner’ (Luke 18:14, NIV). Thankfully my Savior is mighty. He does not only save me, he continues to work in me. By God’s grace, I am able to let go of mammon in my life by surrendering to Jesus day by day. No one but Jesus can sit on the throne of my heart. Otherwise, my faith will wither. And that’s not what I want. I want Jesus to be my Savior but also the Lord of all my life.

 

Gracious God,
Forgive me my selfishness.
I want you to be the Lord of my life,
yet I have my own agenda.
I lay down my plans, my dreams, my agendas.
May only your will happen in and through my life.
Enable me to keep you always number 1 in my life.
In Jesus’ precious name,
Amen

Q4U: What are you temptations? How do you keep Jesus the Lord of your life?

Be blessed my fellow pilgrim as you surrender to Jesus and let him lead you!

Photo by William Krause on Unsplash. I am linking up with #tellhisstory.