Day One - Matthew 6:24

Day One  - Just Marlize on Money

“No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate one and love the other or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” Mathew 6:24

     What a scripture to start this study out with!  This is bold and to the point isn’t it?  This is one of those scriptures that some people quote when they don’t quite understand.  I hear it quoted by people using the wrong premise all the time.  Notice what the scripture does NOT say.  It doesn’t say “God requires that you are poor and hungry.” Or it doesn’t say, “You can never have money, because money is evil.”  No, it says that you cannot serve money.  One of my favorite teachers on money is Dave Ramsey.  This is a funny guy.  I remember in one of his teachings, he holds up a brick and asks the audience if the brick is evil.  He asks what the brick will do on it’s own? Then he looks at the audience over his glasses and says “It won’t do anything on it’s own, will it?”  The point that he comes to is that it will do whatever he does with it.  He can decide to build a hospital or something else that is helpful or wonderful with it or throw it through someone’s front window.  I am not sure that I could have put together a better illustration if I tried. 

     So, having money is not, in itself, a sin.  In fact, God tells us in His word, in Jeremiah that His desire for us is to prosper. (We will go into this scripture later on in this study.)

But when we are serving money, instead of God, well, that’s when things get all messed up.  I have to tell you that the economy is tight.  At least one-third of my friends have suffered some terrible financial loss.  In my neighborhood, about one-fourth of the homes have been emptied due to the fact people could no longer pay their mortgages.  The small town local newspapers pages are filled with notices of foreclosure.  With the unemployment rate at all time highs, the U.S. economy does not look bright at the moment.  I know of a woman that sits for several hours at her table wringing her hands in worry.   I know a man that goes out every single day and hopes to find work that day so that he can bring home food for rent and food for his family.  I know an ex-executive that may lose everything he has ever worked for, including his home, cars, and retirement savings.  This is serious stuff.  It is in epidemic proportions right now. 

…Then I think of all the people I know, who don’t know Jesus.  Sure, there are people out there losing all of their “stuff”, but how many are losing so much more?  As a society we have come to value our things, things that money can buy us, more than we do our joy.  What is the price of happiness anyway?  Think about that.  Right about now, someone is saying “ Winning a lottery would definitely make me happy!”.  We take a moment to take in the fantasy as it brings a smile to our faces and we breathe easy for a moment, before shaking it off and continuing our day.  But today I want you to take that fantasy a bit farther. Would you be happy, really?   Name one problem today that would be solved with a million dollars?  There will be a lot of discussion here, so I will pick one of the many, many, possible answers and expand upon it.  “I would pay off my house.” Is one answer.  Okay, so let’s play out this out a bit.  So, we pay off the house, so how does that make us happier? Well it takes stress off of us, for one, and how does that make us happier?  Well, we are happier because we are not so touchy and grouchy all the time and our blood pressure is better and we are more pleasant to be around, right?  So, what I am saying, essentially, is that in order for me to not worry, be nice to be around and be healthy, I need to win the lottery?  As I am sure that winning the lottery will bring it’s own set of stressors, I find it interesting the things that have to happen to allow myself to enjoy this life that I am living.  Do you know that you are more likely to be struck by lightning TWICE, then to win the lottery?  Winning the lottery is more than a one and a million chance these days. Here in California the odds are one in 18 million!  If winning the lottery is what you need to enjoy the life that you are living, you have a one in 18 million chance of doing that – that is, if you are serving money. 

     Now, let’s look at the stats if you are not serving money.  If you are serving God, your odds are much better.  Let’s start with the original question, except we are going to step it up a bit.  I am not only going to ask what the price of happiness is, because “happy” can be temporary and fleeting emotion, but I am going to ask an even deeper question. What is the price of Joy?  Joy is not a temporary elation, but a constant, steady and dependable state of being, it is beyond an emotion.  What is the price of Joy?  Well, what can joy bring you?  If I were more joyful, I would be less stressed – regardless if my house was paid off or not.  I would not be so touchy all the time and my blood pressure would be better and would definitely be more pleasant to be around.   Same result as above, except without the extra worry and guess what my chances are with this?  One in eighteen million?  One in five million?   One in five hundred?  How would you feel if someone handed you a winning lottery ticket?  Too good to be true?  Well it is too good to be true.

God loves you so much his desire is for you to live life abundantly! (John 10:10) Some versions say “to the full”.    Serving God is so freeing on so many levels.  If we put money first, then all these material things happening around us cause panic, stress.  Our life becomes more about the material possessions than what Jesus died to give us.  God in the flesh came and lived among us and suffered death on the cross so that we may have a relationship with Him through Christ, because that is what we really need.  That is what we really desire, that is what fulfills us and brings us joy. That is what we were created for, His purpose.  God is sovereign.  He knows what we are putting first in our lives and His desire is for us to have real joy, the kind that matters above all else.  Unless we put Him first, we don’t recognize that it is ours for the taking.  As long as we are serving money first, we can’t even see that joy, much less know that it is ours.  I have an incredibly busy day ahead.  I am testing for my Federal licensing exam and I am really not sure what God has in store for me with this whole thing, but I am going to give it my best shot, because it is what God has put in front of me today.   I am going to take some time to today to rest , not physically (because today it is not possible), but mentally, emotionally and spiritually in Him today.  I am going to “cash in my lotto ticket” and appreciate the joy in this day and the abundance of joy I feel when I look into my children’s eyes.  Appreciate how my spirit rejoices when I see the big oak trees out my window filled with wondrous green leaves.  Listen to the birds sing their songs in my backyard.  I am going to give this gift of a day, back to Him, and know it is in the very best of hands.  Would I trade that for a million dollars?  Not a chance.  

-         Marlize

Lord, help me to see that despite what is going on around me, You are in control.  Your economy and the world’s economy is vastly different.  Help me to be reminded that when I am serving You, these “things” seem so small, and when I am serving these “things” I try to make You small.  Remind me that when I try to make you small, it only brings me grief , worry and sadness and when I am serving You it fills my everyday with abundant joy.