“No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”
 ~ Luke 16:13

I find it interesting when I think of how God lovingly provides for His people as He did the Israelites in the wilderness by sending them mammon, but then has to continuously remind His people not to serve the mammon, but to serve the God who created it and gave it to us. It fascinates me that somehow we could have a problem with this. However, just this morning, God had to once again direct my attention to this passage. Though is seems ingrained in my mind, God fairly often has to remind my heart. As a matter of fact, this principle was a frequent topic in Jesus’ earthly ministry. Paul dwells on it as well when he informs Timothy that “The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil.” So, in light of our apparent tendency to struggle with this, how do I judge my own heart on this matter? Is it possible to feel that I am serving God, when in actuality I am serving mammon? Upon reflection, I came up with a few questions that might shed light on our true desires:

1. How much of my day is focused on the will of the Father versus making money and seeking provision?
2. Do I have a habit of taking things before the Lord sees fit to bless me with them? (In other words, how much DEBT do I have?)
3. How do I measure success?
4. Is my life more complicated than it has to be simply because I am trying to pay for and take care of all my stuff?
5. Am I too busy to truly seek God’s pre-determined purpose for my life?

Remember, it’s O.K. to enjoy the blessings of God. The question is, “Are you in a continuous pursuit of them?”

“But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.”
 ~ Matthew 6:33