Two Masters
“No one can serve two masters. 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 both God and Money.”
Matthew 6:24
Another reason for anxiety is the spiritual schizophrenia that seeks to serve two masters. When we are unsure about our ultimate allegiance, we lose our peace. Situations arise, on a daily basis, which require us to choose. Which master will we serve – God or our desires? Sometimes one choice satisfies both masters, but more often than not this is not the case. We are left, pulled between two alternatives, not entirely sure to whom we belong. No wonder we are anxious! Do we use our resources in order to pander to our own needs, or do we use them to fulfill God’s purposes? Will we use our time for our own selfish ends, or will we spend it in the service of others? Will we exploit our neighbors, or will we seek to draw them into a relationship with Christ? The conflict gets to the root of our identity. Like Joshua, we must choose whom we will serve,[1] or we will be caught between two alternatives. Whom will you serve?
It does not help that our earthly ambitions often mimic heavenly ones. For example, we have a natural longing for God that He alone can satisfy,[2] but if we repress that longing, or simply deny it, we transfer our longing to some other source. We were made to worship God, but if we refuse to do so we easily turn from worshipping the Creator to worshipping creation, or part of it. We are consumed with some activity, from stamp collecting to athletics, and we do not realize that our passion is really displaced devotion. We try to fill our hearts and our lives with substitutes because we long for the original. We are lonely for God; but ersatz substitutes never work. They never satisfy. We can spend our lives chasing after dreams that do not help us, even when they come true. It does not matter what the substitute is: money,[3] or power, or prestige. You cannot serve anything else and God. There is not enough room in any life for two masters.
Almighty God,
I confess that I have not always sought You first.
I have been afraid, or anxious, or simply selfish,
so I have put my desires above Yours.
I have loved You less.
May I love You more.
More than any of the distractions,
more even than myself.
Let me love You most of all.
Amen.
“No one can serve two masters. 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 both God and Money.”
Matthew 6:24
Another reason for anxiety is the spiritual schizophrenia that seeks to serve two masters. When we are unsure about our ultimate allegiance, we lose our peace. Situations arise, on a daily basis, which require us to choose. Which master will we serve – God or our desires? Sometimes one choice satisfies both masters, but more often than not this is not the case. We are left, pulled between two alternatives, not entirely sure to whom we belong. No wonder we are anxious! Do we use our resources in order to pander to our own needs, or do we use them to fulfill God’s purposes? Will we use our time for our own selfish ends, or will we spend it in the service of others? Will we exploit our neighbors, or will we seek to draw them into a relationship with Christ? The conflict gets to the root of our identity. Like Joshua, we must choose whom we will serve,[1] or we will be caught between two alternatives. Whom will you serve?
It does not help that our earthly ambitions often mimic heavenly ones. For example, we have a natural longing for God that He alone can satisfy,[2] but if we repress that longing, or simply deny it, we transfer our longing to some other source. We were made to worship God, but if we refuse to do so we easily turn from worshipping the Creator to worshipping creation, or part of it. We are consumed with some activity, from stamp collecting to athletics, and we do not realize that our passion is really displaced devotion. We try to fill our hearts and our lives with substitutes because we long for the original. We are lonely for God; but ersatz substitutes never work. They never satisfy. We can spend our lives chasing after dreams that do not help us, even when they come true. It does not matter what the substitute is: money,[3] or power, or prestige. You cannot serve anything else and God. There is not enough room in any life for two masters.
Almighty God,
I confess that I have not always sought You first.
I have been afraid, or anxious, or simply selfish,
so I have put my desires above Yours.
I have loved You less.
May I love You more.
More than any of the distractions,
more even than myself.
Let me love You most of all.
Amen.
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