This is a simple yet profound, eternal truth -- always true in every situation. It is impossible to take orders from two places at the same time, without giving preference to one. Jesus did not say it was hard. He said it was impossible. True, sometimes it can seem possible for a while. But invariably the time comes when the orders from each side are going to conflict, forcing a decision. Who am I really serving? What dictates my actions? Who has final authority? Will I do what gets me the most money? Or will I do what God says?
From this verse we see that there will be times when God's direction will not be the most financially rewarding choice. Yet far too many who call themselves Christians never even consider choices which would provide them with less money. Money is supposed to be our servant, not our master. Instead of money dictating our decisions, we should tell money what to do. We should use money instead of letting it use us. Money is just a tool to accomplish things on earth. Money should never be your master. But, unlike what many think, Jesus did not say that you cannot serve God and have money.
None of this proves Christians should be poor, or that God is against His people having every need met and even being prosperous. It simply means what it says. You can only have one Lord. So you have to make a choice. If you are making every decision in life based on your finances, you need to realize you are not serving God, but serving money. You can't be a soldier in two armies at the same time. You may pretend loyalty to more than one army, but you can only truly be loyal to one at a time.
LUKE 14:33 ESV 33 So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple. A disciple of Jesus must renounce all other gods -- all that tries to exert control over their life. Jesus must be Lord. You cannot be a true disciple of Jesus and allow other things to control you, dictating what you will do.
Many have misunderstood these things and thought Jesus taught that His true followers have to be poor. But this is not true at all. The issue is not what you have, but what controls you -- whose orders you obey. There are people who have nothing, yet are controlled by money. Every decision they make is decided on the basis of how it affects their finances. There are also people with substantial wealth who are completely submitted to God. If God told them, they would give it all away today. A soldier has to completely subordinate everything he is and everything he has to serve in the army. So a soldier "gives up" all he previously had and enjoyed as he enters active duty.
That does not mean the soldier is without a place to live or food to eat. But his source of supply is not from his own resources. A soldier on active duty has renounced control of his life. In return, he trusts he will be taken care of. You must understand that you CANNOT be controlled by money and by God at the same time. If you do serve money, you will be trusting in money to provide for you -- which you will surely regret, for money can fail. But God never fails!
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