Scripture: Matthew 6:24
No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.
Thought for the Day: A lot of lip service is given to putting God first, yet making God and the ways of God the pivotal truth in one’s life takes extraordinary discipline. Jesus demonstrated for us what full submission to God looks like, but also the results of such submission. The cross becomes the symbol of what happens to those who put God first. Too many preachers will tell their congregations that wealth, job promotions and good health are the results of committing one’s life fully to God, but this teaching ignores the most basic of ideas found in the Gospels. I saw a little framed saying the other day which read, “The will of God will never take you where the grace of God will not protect you.” With beautiful calligraphy, those words have adorned the walls of many homes, yet they communicate the antitheses of Jesus. Those persecuted and martyred for the sake of Christianity were clearly sharing in the will of God, yet grace did not protect them from suffering and death. Grace is what freed them to live in the ways of God which are represented in the cross. It is not easy to put God and the ways of God first.
Prayer: Merciful God, forgive me when I fail in my attempts to put you as the central figure in my life. May your grace encourage me to continue in the ongoing work of becoming more fully a disciple of Jesus, the one who always put you first. Amen.
