Reflection
One of the great Christian sayings: ”You cannot serve God and Mammon” – which modern translations usually render as money or wealth. Money is a means to an end. Serving God and our fellow humans – the common good – is the end. How many people put money and possessions first?
Notice how Jesus says that getting our priorities right will bring peace and a lack of worrying.
Look at your own life: which comes first, God and your neighbour or money and possessions?
Ask God to help you ensure your priorities in life are right.
Today’s Prayer
Preparation: Begin by stilling; then dedicating the time of prayer to God and asking God that all you think, feel and imagine are for the glory of God.
Gift: Ask for what you desire. Suggestion: To know Jesus more clearly, love him more dearly, and follow him more nearly.
Setting: A Scripture reading to ponder – Lectio Divina, or imagine you are with the people on the mount listening to Jesus teaching.
Scripture
Matthew 6:24-34 WEB
“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You can’t serve both God and Mammon. Therefore I tell you, don’t be anxious for your life: what you will eat, or what you will drink; nor yet for your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food, and the body more than clothing? See the birds of the sky, that they don’t sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns. Your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you of much more value than they?
“Which of you by being anxious, can add one moment to his lifespan?
Why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They don’t toil, neither do they spin, yet I tell you that even Solomon in all his glory was not dressed like one of these.
But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today exists and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, won’t he much more clothe you, you of little faith?
“Therefore don’t be anxious, saying, ‘What will we eat?’, ‘What will we drink?’ or, ‘With what will we be clothed?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first God’s Kingdom and his righteousness; and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore don’t be anxious for tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself.
Conversation: Talk to Jesus in your own words as a friend
Final Prayer: End with a formal prayer such as the Lord’s Prayer/Our Father.
Today’s Music
Seek ye first the Kingdom of God – sung by Ruth and Joy Everingham, written by Karen Lafferty