Sunday, January 23, 2022

"You cannot serve God and Mammon" (Luke 16:13)

There are two gods in the world. Only one can hold a person's allegiance and there can be no compromise. You either serve God or money. Mammon is the Aramaic word for money or property. Quite often, it is how we value our money determines whom we serve. We cannot claim to serve God when we in fact love money. How does one loving money come to fore? Career or rice-bowl before all things. A person can take on many hardships or even insults, but once his rice-bowl is threatened, then we will see the true colours of the person's allegiance. For instance, there are people given a choice will not get themselves vaccinated but because being un-vaccinated could cost them their jobs or position, they will meekly comply. Why is that so? In part, it is because they serve money.

They are afraid that they might lose money or lose on their career prospects. If a person really loves God, money will be a tool or utility but that person will never put money as a priority, what more over God and the service of God. Some people use to give the excuse that they are too busy to go to church or do some church activity because they are at work or occupied with their business. How many people really serve God instead of money? There are people who are so reluctant to spend money and they are so stingy that you can't move their hearts to give RM5 to the poor. They may even have the excuse that there are many poor and it is not their business to interfere. No one can help all the poor in this world. But what we are called to do is to show compassion when the situation warrants it or when we are faced with people in great need. Many claim that they are faithful in giving tithes to their church but you won't get another cent off them. No wonder a proverb says that one person keeps hoarding but never have enough. A person keeps saving and never spending. That is why giving is so important. It releases the soul from bondage to money. Money can grip us like no other thing or power on earth. It is the love of money that is the root of all evil. By giving money to God and to those in need, we serve God and not money. By spending over hoarding or saving it, we say that money is not our god and that we do not put our hope in our money or savings. When we spend wisely and generously, we say to God that money is a gift from Him and we will not hoard it to our own detriment or others who are in need, but that we will use it for His glory. By not being too cautious with money, we say to money that you are not a god and we tread it under foot for it is only in God we trust and it is only to Him we serve.

2 comments:

  1. ''For instance, there are people given a choice will not get themselves vaccinated but because being un-vaccinated could cost them their jobs or position, they will meekly comply.''

    Do you mean getting vaccinated itself is sin?

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  2. No, it is not a sin. Vaccination is a matter of choice; however, it should never be made mandatory as I believe in bodily autonomy and it is a fundamental human right and our personal liberty/choice over what we allow to be injected into our bodies. No one should lose their jobs or be compelled to resign if they choose not to be vaccinated. There are other ways to ensure safety in work/public place or church service. Self-testing is one way forward.

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