Rivalries exist in all of our lives. It could be as simple as, “do I work out or eat Blue Bell ice cream”. We have football rivalries and political rivalries. Most of use have had rivalries over a girlfriend or boyfriend.
Jesus makes a unique statement found nowhere else in the New Testament. He lets us know what his chief competitor is by telling us “You can’t serve God and “mammon” in Matthew 6:24. So what is mammon?
Most Bibles use the word “money” but it’s much more than just that. Mammon is a false god that promises how you can trust money/resources to give you what only God can give you. Mammon is huge liar.
See, mammon falsely promises to give you security. You and I think, “If I just had $_____________.00, I’d be set for life.” It lies to us about our significance. “If I had enough money to buy a lot of stuff, people would listen to me and finally believe I’m important.” It gives us a false sense of an ideal marriage. We say, “If we had enough money, we wouldn’t fight anymore and she/he’d be happy.” It promises peace and joy in life.
But the truth is, the only person or thing that can give us security, significance, a great marriage, joy or peace is God Almighty. It’s only in and through him that you and I will ever have all those things.
Jesus goes on to say in Matthew 6:21, “Where your treasure is, there is your heart also.” In other words, your heart follows what you treasure. We end up spending our money on things we don’t need or spending too much money on someone we might need. We spend money on our kids as if that 8 year old needs the latest iPhone. Now, I’m not saying to tell your family no or to sell everything you have.
But God does put a biblical principle in place that will help you release the grip of mammon in your life. The principle of tithing reminds you where your heart belongs and it lets God know you recognize who supplies your daily needs.
The principle is simple: take whatever you bring home for your pay and give God the first ten percent. On your home budget, the first line item should be “giving”, and it’s 10% of what you make. God is the first check that you write. Then you learn to live on the other 90% of your income. God calls us to give sacrificially and in doing so you share your blessings with those around you.
Some of you don’t give at all and you’re wandering, “How could I give anything? Everything I bring home is spoken for.” If that’s you then just start giving something, even if it’s $10 a week. It may not be 10% initially but you’ll start instilling the principle a little at a time. If you've set your giving at some point in the past, my guess is, you’ve received a raise between then and now. It might be time to reevaluate how much you're giving.
Robin (my wife) and I made a commitment when we married to three things concerning giving to God. One, we are always going to give every week back to God. Two, we are going to work hard on becoming debt-free. Finally, we are going to help people whenever the opportunity arises. I challenge you to incorporate that way of thinking into your giving spirit.
I know God promises that he can and will do more with the 90% than you could ever do with the 100% on your own. It takes trust and a heart for God to move in this direction. Don’t you want to live and give like you’ve never done before? Trusting God will allow you to do exactly that. Blessings on the journey.