No one can serve two masters, for 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 God and money.
Matthew 6:24 ESV
Jesus concludes this section of the sermon by giving us a summary and personal application to his command that we lay up treasures in heaven. One of the most important factors in following Jesus with humble obedience is our complete dedication and devotion to God. We are a doubleminded people who continually see our desires and affections being tempted and drawn away from our Savior. We are a people that want to live for the treasures of heaven but are drawn and distracted by the treasures of this world. Jesus reminds us that we cannot serve two masters. We cannot be doubleminded with dual allegiance. We cannot serve God and the World at the same time. Our hearts are simply not designed this way. Our hearts are designed to focus and be completely devoted to one object of worship. Jesus is calling us to examine ourselves and ensure that we are fully devoted to our Father in Heaven and not these temporal worldly distractions that have no eternal value.
This always seems to be the case in my heart. It is a constant struggle and battle to be fully attentive and devoted to God. My eyes are constantly being tempted and distracted by the things of this world. Whether it’s money, position, power, lust, greed, envy, or even personal perception, I am continually facing the challenge to serve only Jesus in all areas of my life. My body and my desires have this strong pull towards the temporal and worldly offerings that are presented all the time. The call of the world is loud and pervasive and even persuasive. I find it far too easy to serve my self-righteousness over and above the righteousness of Christ.
I find myself in the midst of this struggle all the time, but that is not a bad thing. The struggle itself is showing me that the Spirit of Christ is alive and at work within me. If there was no struggle, I would be completely given over to the world. So the struggle for faithfulness is a beautiful and necessary part of life. The struggle sharpens my faith and devotion. The struggle points me to Jesus. The struggle highlights the yearning of my heart for a restful eternity of heavenly peace with Jesus. The struggle reminds me to store up treasure in heaven.
How do I fight for singleminded devotion to Jesus alone? I use the weapons that are provided through the Spirit. I read and meditate on God’s Word. I don’t treat the Bible as just another item to tick off my daily list. I let the living Word of God penetrate and permeate my life. I have regular Bible intake where I am giving the Word full reign of my heart and mind. I read and apply it to my heart. I examine myself for sin and seek repentance through faith and humility. All of the spiritual disciplines are necessary to see this transformation and a defensive wall be built up against the temptations of the world. I need prayer and fasting. I need fellowship and community. I need sermons and teachings. I need reading and studying. I need self-examination and honesty. I need all of this in my life on a regular basis. But I need to seek these in a state of humility. Seeking Jesus with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength because he is good and perfect. He loves me completely and fully. He continually proves himself as the perfect master that I can humbly serve without fear as he transforms me and prepares me for my heavenly home with him!