The Quaker’s Neighbor

You cannot serve both God and money.

Matthew 6:24, NIV

A Quaker watched as his new, wealthy neighbor unpacked truckloads of furniture, clothing, and home decor. He then went to greet the man and said to him, “Neighbor, if thee hath need of anything, please come to see me, and I will tell thee how to get along without it.”

We are bombarded with TV commercials and Internet ads for beautiful furniture, nice cars, and the ultimate American dream of owning a home. What ads don’t show, though, is how quickly those things, as legitimate as they are, will begin to own us if we aren’t careful. To be sure, God does not expect us to live without the necessities of life, but He does encourage us to strike a balance between earthly needs and heavenly purposes, valuing the treasures we lay up for ourselves in heaven rather than becoming attached to the material things that will fade away on that glorious day when Christ returns.

After all, “it is He who gives [us] power to get wealth” (Deuteronomy 8:18), but we must use those riches to invest in our heavenly future.

It is not to make money that I believe a Christian should live. The noblest thing a man can do is, just humbly to receive, and then go amongst others and give.

DAVID LIVINGSTONE