Luke 16:13 “No servant 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.”

This is a justly famous verse, but it is actively ignored by far too many people, for the same reason given for the Pharisees disliking it: people love money! The irony is that even secular psychologists say that after a certain level wealth has no positive effect on happiness, and often has a negative effect. Happy wealthy people are all focused on things other than their wealth, as witness Elon Musk. Wealth, however it’s counted, is one of the oldest idols. From the dawn of history there have been countless people who have sacrificed everything else to gain it, but as Jesus said elsewhere, “What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?” (Luke 9:25) It is in serving God that we discover the reason for our existence, and only then do we gain true peace, satisfaction, and joy. Playing with rivals to God, like wealth, never benefits us.

I’m thankful that wealth has never loomed very big in my awareness. It’s not just that I’ve never been wealthy, money has just never been that big an issue with me. I’ve certainly had times when I wanted more, but from the point when Cathy and I made the firm decision to tithe first, before any other expenses, at a time when we really didn’t have money, God has supplied every one of our needs, often in surprising and sometimes in miraculous ways. Neither Cathy nor I grew up in what would be called affluent circumstances, but neither of us grew up feeling poor. I certainly credit our parents in that. Cathy’s parents in particular had some really hard times financially, but they didn’t telegraph that to their children, and all four went to college, when that was far from universal where they lived. In my case, in post-war Japanese society you could have said we lived an affluent lifestyle, driving an American car and living in a large house with a large yard (that didn’t belong to us but to the mission board), but on missionary salaries my parents had to be very careful with expenditures, and we were taught frugality by example. All of that is not to say that I’ve never let anything get ahead of God in my priorities. I have, however, learned that serving Him meets every one of my genuine needs, because He is a loving, generous Master.

Father, thank You for the privilege of serving You, and for the true wealth that You pour out on me. I do pay attention to my bank account here, but I know on the deepest level that my account with You is far more important and valuable. May that account draw the interest that You intend, so that Your purposes may be accomplished in and through me for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!