20 June 2014; Mat 6:19-24

20 June 2014; Mat 6:19-24

Material wealth and possession is a strong hold. I have enough, but there is a need to put in hard work and to maintain it. It is not that money just come by and you can do the things or ministry that you like and money just flow in. Even getting the passive income needs to work on it. How nice that I can just teach and not need to getting a salary, a bonus.. How nice it is to be able to be challenged and yet know that the risk is contained.

These are just some of my thoughts. Keep money and be stingy is the same as not keeping them and splurging money like a spendthrift.

I know that money and wealth cannot last. They cannot be kept and taken with us when we die. Money cannot make you happy (why not is something I cannot understand).

Jesus has all the riches is the world but gave up everything for us. Why then are we accumulating more of that what Jesus consider as worthless, that He consider more worthful than money.

Because the world compares who has more and who can afford. How nice if you can always eat good meal at high class restaurant (just to have a meal, a normal meal), drive a nice car to church, ...  and yet a Christian after God's heart? You don't need to be poor in order to serve God.

Mat 6:24 - Jesus say you cannot serve both. Why?

Will you be able to give up your money for God? Will you give god up for money?

There seem not a balance to strike. Like the story of  the rich man who ask Jesus how to enter the kingdom of heaven - sell all that he has away. Or for a million dollars gave God up for 1 day, 1 week or 1 month and behave as if there is no God.

Precisely, it is a contradict.

You cannot serve 2 masters - either you will hate one and love the other or you will be devoted to one and despise the other.

I am not going to argue here. There is no balance to strike. When it comes to God, God first. If I work too much and miss God out - wrong. If I am busy making money and has no time for God - wrong. If I don't give when compel to by His spirit - obvious wrong.

God first. Put God first. Give anything up for a while or totally for God - first.