Are You Serving Money? - Matthew 6:19-24

Our relationship with money is deeply personal and often shaped by past experiences of scarcity or the belief that more wealth will solve our problems. However, Jesus addresses this directly in Matthew 6:19-24, teaching that earthly treasures are temporary and vulnerable to destruction or theft. The key principle is that our hearts naturally follow our investments - when we focus on accumulating wealth, our hearts become consumed with financial concerns, but when we invest in God's kingdom, our hearts align with eternal purposes.

Jesus uses the metaphor of a healthy eye to describe generous living. A generous perspective spreads to every area of our lives, creating light and joy, while stinginess breeds darkness and dissatisfaction. The fundamental issue isn't that money is evil, but that anything becoming our ultimate source of security will compete with God for our allegiance. When money becomes our master, we start viewing our relationship with God transactionally.

The gospel reveals God's incredible generosity toward us - He gave His Son while we were still sinners, not waiting for us to prove ourselves worthy. This divine generosity should transform how we approach life, moving us from asking what's the minimum required to asking how we can generously use what God has entrusted to us. Generous living means holding our resources with open hands, ready to invest in God's kingdom rather than hoarding for our own security.