Friday, April 5th - Luke 16 (From intern Ryan Anderson)

God First, Period

“No servant 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.” (Lk 16:13).

 How good are you at multitasking? I like to think that I’m pretty good at doing two things at the same time. According to recent statistics, multitasking leads to a 40% drop in productivity, and possibly a 10% drop in IQ. Does that mean that we’re getting dumber if we multitask? Possibly, but certainly our productivity will suffer, and the results will be diminished.

 As much as you cannot multitask in simple, earthly things (like texting and driving), you can’t multitask spiritually either. Jesus talks here about trying to have two masters, and says that it cannot be done. He makes it pretty clear, “No servant can serve two masters.” Only one thing can sit on the throne of our lives, and our sinful nature is awfully good at making sure that thing is not God. It could be Money, Sex, Relationships, Ourselves etc. All of these are idols, and take our attention away from the things of God.

What then is the answer? Are we supposed to abandon all these things, and become pious monks and nuns? Certainly not! God has given us these good gifts for service in His kingdom. Thus, instead of serving Money as the ultimate authority, you can use Money to serve God. Our time, talents, and treasures are all gifts from the Father, and we are called to serve Him, and Him alone.

So next time you feel like multitasking, remember that it doesn’t work, either physically or spiritually. Only one thing can reign over our lives as supreme. May the Lord continue to help us put Him alone on the throne of our lives.