Mammon has been an old rival of God in our lives. Without often realizing it, our hearts have turned from God to mammon. That’s why God requires us to take a firm decision. We must choose to serve God or to serve mammon; to be servant of God or servant of mammon (Matthew 6:19-24).
So far, we are having trouble to tell whether we are still the servants of God or have turned into servants of mammon because there are no parameters to measure it. These are the parameters to distinguish the servants of God from the servants of mammon:
1. Servants of God love God – Servants of mammon love money.
Who has the most control over our hearts and minds, God or money? Who is the one who satisfies the desires of our hearts the most, God or money? If we love God, our hearts and minds will be filled by Him. He is the only one who will satisfy our heart’s desire. But if we start loving money, our hearts and minds begin to be filled with money, everything that we long for is money not God.
2. Servants of God are more focus to seek God’s kingdom and His righteousness than to seek for money – Servants of mammon are more focus to seek money than to seek God’s Kingdom and His righteousness (v. 22, 23, 33).
We are always servants of what we look for the most. Example: The servant of pleasure is a person who is looking for pleasure the most. What we are looking the most shows whose servants we are. If we are more focus to seek God’s Kingdom and His righteousness, we are the servants of God. But if we are more focus to seek money, then we are the servants of money/mammon.
3. Servants of God like to collect wealth in Heaven – Servants of mammon like to collect wealth on earth (verses 19-21).
Where our wealth flows the most shows the real tendency of our hearts. Servants of God will drain their wealth for the things relating to God and His Kingdom (collect wealth in Heaven). But servants of money will drain their money for worldly things that have nothing to do with eternity.
4. Servants of God rely on God to meet their needs – Servants of mammon rely on money to meet their needs (verses 31-33).
Servants of God believe in God while servants of mammon believe in money to meet their needs. Servants of God believe that God can meet their needs even without money. Servants of money believe that money can meet their needs even without God.
Jesus did not rely on money to meet His needs. He always depended on His Father. In John 6:1-13, we are told, Jesus fed 5.000 people, even though without money. Servants of God believe that the Father could still meet their needs even though without money, because they believe in the Father and not in the money.
5. Servants of God are always pleased with what their already have – Servants of mammon are never satisfied with what they already have (Heb. 13:5).
In John 6:1-13, the disciples felt that five loaves of bread and two fish were not enough, but Jesus gave thanks for what they had and miraculous multiplication happened. Blessings that we receive will be doubled if receive them with thanksgiving. The password is: gratitude!
In the end, we have to choose whether we want to be a servant of God or servant of mammon, we can’t choose both. Choose to be a servant of God!
Also read: Guarding The Financial Area.