Some of the rich gather their treasures with covetousness. They build large houses, wear valuable dresses and increase their riches through devious financial methods. They employ money to multiply their wealth, to become, together with their kindred, powerful clans and overrule others with the might of their properties. Thieves also do not sleep. They, cunningly and deceitfully, try to steal the money of the rich and avoid and disgust honest work. They hide themselves from the light of the day and cheat themselves, similar to the rich, wishing happiness, greatness and celebrity by stealing money or precious goods; but they soon die as other people do and do not enjoy their riches forever.
We should become wise and learn that only laying up our treasure in heaven is safe. It will not decay; moth and rust will not corrupt it, and force and fraud can not deprive us of it. Thieves cannot break in and steal. It is joy above and beyond the changes and chances of time – an inheritance incorruptible and nonperishable.
Where your treasure is, on earth or in heaven, there your heart will be also. We are therefore concerned to be right and wise in the choice of our treasure, because the temper of our minds, and consequently the tenor of our lives, will be accordingly carnal or spiritual, earthly or heavenly. The heart follows the treasure, as the needle follows the loadstone or the sunflower the sun. Where the treasure is there the value and esteem are, there the love and affection are, that way the desires and pursuits go. The Lord will be your treasure and great rewards that you shall be centered in Him with all your intents and thoughts, thus you will become free from the material and the earthly and obtain heavenly treasure.
The poor are not better than the rich are, since they do want to possess what the rich already have. Both of them build their future on the basis of earthly properties. They seldom perceive that their souls are eternal and are in need of spiritual food. Everything is coming to an end except God. Christ’s forgiveness offers greater security for your life than a house made of cement and iron that may be destroyed by bombs and removed by earthquakes. Your faith is more important than your diplomas; your love in the Holy Spirit is more valuable than the amount of credit in your bank. Your service to the needy glorifies God. Your offerings will not increase your treasure in the heavenly bank, since God is your share, and He is the greatest treasure.
Our age has become materialistic. Men are keeping up with the development of economics and modern discoveries, looking forward to welfare, forgetting the Holy God and His Law. The Holy Spirit is not with them and they are being filled with the impure spirit of this world. He who is mostly concerned with earthly profits is in bondage to the spirit of darkness. God created you in His image. Look at Him. Then His glory will be reflected in the glamour of your eyes. But if you turn your eye away from your Lord and aim at money, your desires and impurities will enslave you, and your eye will change into sadness and darkness.
The evils in you do not mean only money and matter, but a spirit working against God as well, which Christ called the unjust “mammon,” which prevails over those who do not continue in God. In fact, he who becomes rich may find many chances of the world open to satisfy his desires. Your mammon inspires you to commit horrible wickedness and adultery. The rich are easily led to corruption and unclean acts. It is a mercy of God that we cannot see what shocking crimes and impurities people commit during one night with their money in our towns. Otherwise, we would have gone out of our minds as a result of seeing such acts. God, on His part, is patient and is able to bear even impure men.
The Lord advises you to come back to Him that He can embrace you and free you from your mammon idol, for you cannot love God and mammon at the same time. Your prayer would become void if you trusted your support of money. You are to trust either God or your riches, for one of them is sought after and preferred by you. Examine yourself and recognize how much time and money you spend to serve God, and how much you spend of them on yourself, your car and your amusement. We are all in temptation to become slaves of mammon. We cheat ourselves more than we know and worship the mammon idol joyfully with trembling hands when we amass such wealth. God helps you to become free from the bondage of money that you shall not be obsessed by it, but shall abide in Christ and His salvation. The Most Holy is a unique treasure for your life, so do not go on seeking to be esteemed in society. Seek a high degree in the service of the Lord, spend on the poor and sacrifice yourself for them as Christ sacrificed Himself for you.
Some believers try to serve both God and mammon. They do not observe that Christ confirmed to them that no one could serve them both. So ask the Lord of glory to help you that you will love Him and that He shall keep you and provide for all your needs. Are you prepared to worship God alone? Or are you still halting between both sides? Resort to Christ who does not crown a divided heart.