SERVE WHOM OR WHAT

I was going to do a study in the Bible on the word ‘serve’ but stopped with the first verse that came up in my search list, Matthew 6:24. I began to do a study on a few of the words and this is what I found.

Matthew 6:24  "No one 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.

First I looked at the word ‘serve’ in the Strong’s concordance

#1398  Part of Speech: Verb  Transliteration: douleuó

Phonetic Spelling: (dool-yoo'-o)

Short Definition: I am a slave, am subject to, obey

Definition: I am a slave, am subject to, obey, am devoted.

(figuratively) to willingly give over the prerogative to be self-governing. See 1401 (doulos).

To serve something or someone makes me subject to them or to it. I am devoted to what I’m a slave to. I no longer govern myself.

‘money’  #3126  Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine

Transliteration: mamónas

Phonetic Spelling: (mam-mo-nas')

Short Definition: riches, money, possessions

Definition: (Aramaic), riches, money, possessions, property.

126 mammōnás – a Semitic term for "the treasure a person trusts in" (J. Thayer) who is transliterated as "mammon."

Money in this verse isn’t just the cash we have it is what we trust in. It can be our possessions, what we ‘own’.

Matthew 6:24  "No one 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.

Now that you know what ‘serve’ and ‘money’ means in the Greek, would you say you are serving God with your whole heart? Or are you serving the cash in your pocket, your home or the games you play?

Don’t let the word ‘slave’ throw you off, ‘am devoted’ is also listed and it means – “Feeling or displaying strong affection or attachment”.

I don’t know about you but when I have a strong affection towards someone I desire to please them and therefore I ‘serve’ them.

Are you following me?

An example – I love (have a strong affection towards) my husband, therefore I desire to fix his coffee and serve it to him when he wakes every morning. I know that’s a small example but it helps make my point. I’m not doing it for selfish reasons, I truly want to ‘serve’ my husband in love and there are some awesome benefits of doing this type of serving J

If you haven’t already, you should take the time to check out all the benefits of serving our Father. They far outweigh anything cash, a home or a few games can give us in this life. In fact, the benefits are eternal.

Now on to the word ‘money’ - money, possessions, property

Often when we read this verse we think of cash, it’s a choice between God and cash, but that is not true. As you see in the Greek definition it is also possessions or property.

So now we have, are you going to serve God or cash, jewelry, games, house, food, tv and the list goes on.

We have a decision to make, what is yours? Will you serve your Creator or will you seek those things that are temporary?

Will you serve God with a devotion that just wants to lift Him up and show the world how wonderful He is? Or would you rather say you believe in God and then live like those in the world - chasing after selfish things that will break or rot away?

Have you replaced God and His power with a workshop, a prayer group, a counselor or a best friend? We need to know what God says in His Word so we do not place anything or anyone above Him. It is God who heals us, blesses us, gives us a way out when tempted, forgives us and shows us the way – the path He has for us and it’s to bring Him all the glory, honor and praise – it is to bring other people to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

I do not have anything against a good Bible based study, counselor, etc. What I do have a problem with is these places or people adding to or taking away from God’s Word. When it becomes a gossip, talk bad about other people, find the answer in you type of thing. Always make sure to check God’s Word against what you are being taught, don’t just take someone’s word for it. And if they talk bad about other people, encourage you to feel sorry for them instead of helping them live according to God’s Word – run!! There is power in God’s Word and in our lives when we seek Him with all our soul, heart and mind.

I say these things because I’ve been there and stayed there with no victory – sympathy did not give me victory or the strength to overcome – but those that taught/teach Truth and gave me their faith, and God’s Word to live by – then I began to have victory through Jesus Christ…..I’m moving forward.