“No one can serve two masters.” Matthew 6:24 (NIV)
Imagine working at a summer youth camp with 150 residents. The camp is run by twin sisters who have given their lives to this work. Both of them pack a pretty fair punch, and both of them have their own agendas.
One of the joys of working there is the sheer variety of opportunities—there’s a craft center to be led, a beach that needs lifeguards, a gym that needs oversight, outdoor games to be run, and all that goes into running a daily chapel. There is also food to be prepared, laundry to be washed, and maintenance to be done.
Each morning you get the residents out of bed and bring them over for breakfast. Then you wait to see which of the two sisters arrives first. One sister lives up the hill; the other lives down the hill. Whoever arrives first will determine the day’s priorities.
Once you are assigned your tasks for the day, that’s when things get really interesting. You might be up a ladder painting one of the houses, when the other sister comes over.
“Some friends have come with a catch of fish. They need to be cleaned right away. Could you come and help?”
“Well, your sister said she wants the painting finished.”
“Don’t worry about that. I’ll have a word with her. You go and do the fish.”
Some of the staff work more with one sister, and some work more with the other. And every time somebody new comes on staff, you watch to see which sister wins out.
That’s what Jesus was talking about when He said, “No one can serve two masters.” Your soul is torn between competing claims—either God must break the love of money, or money will choke your love for God.
Is your soul torn between competing claims?
