“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.  (Matthew 6:24 NKJV)

The Bible does not say we “should not” or “must not” but we cannot serve God and mammon. You will always end up loving one and despising the other.  It must be God or mammon.

Mammon literally means “gain.”  Including, money or wealth, but also, anything in this world that is considered gain that is gotten by the lust of the flesh, lust of the eye, and the pride of life (1 John 2:16).  It might include power, influence, or fame. 

The Church today preaches that you can only have one God, yet some have created a theology where you can serve God and mammon. This is done by telling us that God wants all believers to be prosperous or successful, which is always defined as being wealthy. Some reading this are probably thinking that this writer has a poverty mentality.  It is not about being rich or poor.  Saying that all believers should have meager resources is just as wrong as believing that all Christians should live in luxury.  The crucial word is all.  The Bible tells us of many righteous people such as Abraham who were wealthy, yet, the Apostle Paul praised the church in Macedonia which was known for its poverty. Biblically speaking, concerning material possessions, one size does not fit all.

It is not about how many things we have, but do they have us?  If what you have or what you can do rivals God, you are trying to serve two masters. You will love one and hate the other.

I worked for seventeen years as a missionary with Youth With A Mission.  My missionary work has taken me to Mexico, Canada, Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, Spain, and Ukraine.  I hold a Masters of Education in curriculum and instruction from Virginia Commonwealth University.  [email protected]