“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.“

Times are getting harder and the issue of money is becoming real. Our temptation is to hoard. But at some point no matter how hard it gets, we will see that generosity is the only way that will get us all through really hard times.

There are preachers out there who say one of our life’s goals is to make a lot of money so we can be kingdom generous. Be careful with this. The pursuit of money is a trap. It leads to all kinds of problems.

It’s not money that’s the problem. It’s the love of it.

And why do we love it? It’s because in this life it gives power to do things we couldn’t normally do, it gives us comfort and a sense of security. It gives us a sense of safety.

Those things are good. But they can be a problem when they become an idol.

• If you lost everything and didn’t have insurance, would you be Ok?
• If God ever asked you to give it all away, would that be a problem for you?

And here’s a truth: Even if our bank accounts are very small and are savings are nothing and our retirement is pitiful, we can still make money an idol. It’s true. And it’s something I’ve struggled with.

God says you cannot serve both him and money. Because when we are His, it all belongs to Him.

We (I), would do well to ask the LORD what He thinks on some of our purchases. It is His anyway. We are His servants to do His will. And that includes in our finances.

As times get tougher, it seems like greed is growing deeper. This is an issue we will need to examine in our own hearts again and again.