“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.”Luke 16:13 (NIV)
Do you want to know what you really love most? Look at how you spend your time and your money.
Jesus talked about how money reveals your priorities. He said, “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”(Luke 16:13 NIV).
The word “cannot” is filled with deep spiritual truth. He doesn’t say that it’s difficult to live for both God and money, or that it’s stressful. He says that you “cannot” live for both God and money. In other words, it’s impossible.
Your number one goal in life can’t be to serve God and to make money. One has to be subordinate to the other. You can’t have two bosses.
You have to choose what you love most in life. You may say, “I love Jesus most.” But it doesn’t really matter what you say; what matters is what you do.
If you want to know what you love most, look at two things: your calendar and your bank statement. The way you spend your time and the way you spend your money show what you value most.
In so many cultures today, it’s easy for money to become a god—for it to have first place in your life. But that’s not what God wants for you.
Here’s what God wants for you: He wants you to love people and to love him—and to use money as a tool.
If you get that reversed, you’re in trouble. If you start to love money, then you’re going to start using people—and people weren’t made to be used. Instead, use your money as a tool to help you love people and God well.
How do you do that? You use your money to do good, to further the gospel, and to care for people in need.
Remember this: When you live for money, it becomes your master. But when you give your money, it serves you.
Rick Warren is an innovative pastor, renowned author, and global influencer known for founding Saddleback Church, the Purpose Driven Network, the PEACE Plan, and Hope for Mental Health. He has written several best-selling books, including The Purpose Driven Life, which has sold over 35 million copies in 200 languages. Time magazine named Warren the most influential spiritual leader in America and one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Since stepping down from the lead pastor role at Saddleback in 2022, Warren has continued to inspire people through his Daily Hope Devotional and podcast Pastor Rick’s Daily Hope. His first book in a decade, Created to Dream, was released in April 2023.
For more Daily Hope with Rick Warren, please visit pastorrick.com!
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Rick Warren is the founding pastor of Saddleback Church in Southern California with campuses in major cities around the world. He is the author of The Purpose Driven Life, which has been translated into 90 languages and sold more than 50 million copies in all formats. You can listen to his daily radio broadcast at PastorRick.com.
