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.
