“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
“The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
“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. Matthew 6: 19-24 [NIV]
Your bank statement is a forensic document – let’s imagine that an analyst was examining your financial records to determine whether you were a follower of Christ. Would there be enough evidence to convince a court that you were in fact a Christian?
The Ten Commandments tell us that coveting is a sin (whether it is property or relationships). Coveting starts with the eyes – the lamp of the body, the window to the soul. If your “eyes are healthy” then what you look at will be well-illuminated. If they are unhealthy, you might be tempted by self-gratification and find that you are storing up earthly treasures.
You can’t serve 2 masters, yet we have a battle going on within us all the time. I like the illustration which I recently came across on Facebook (yes, a few good things are to be found there!) which apparently originated amongst the Cherokees – does it not seem to resonate with the teaching of the Bible? (compare it to Romans 7):
“One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, “My son, the battle is between two wolves inside us all. One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego. The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, generosity, empathy, truth, compassion and faith.” The grandson thought about this for a minute and then asked the grandfather, “Which wolf wins?” The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.”
Lord, help us to keep our healthy vision by eating your good food. Help us to be continually filled with your Spirit. Keep us walking in the light. Amen.
Dave MacLellan
No comments:
Post a Comment