Mammon is greed and materialism personified. Tonight, I am frightened by how large, how domineering of a figure he is. In America, does any other idol compete with God for our hearts more than Mammon? There are certainly voices that speak against shameless greed, but few wear their avarice without shame. We give it names like "fiscal responsibility" and "financial security", but more often than not, seeking after what our culture calls pragmatic and necessary is nothing less than worshiping at the altar of Mammon.
Tonight, I am frightened by how large Mammon is in my own life and my own heart. As I've made my transition into the world of adult finances, I have lived in fear of the control Mammon might have over me. Rather than face the difficult task of developing a mature and nuanced relationship with money, I chose to pay as little attention to my finances as possible. As if I could do away with Mammon simply by not looking at him. But that couldn't be further from the truth. I am not free from Mammon because I don't see him; I am so afraid to look at him that I am enslaved.
Tonight, God asks me to pay attention. To see that there are indeed fetters on my wrists, to look Mammon in the eye, and to believe that Christ has already conquered him. In coming weeks, months, and years I will loosen my chains and I will diminish Mammon, but tonight God asks me to open my eyes.
What does He ask of you? Will you open yourself to see what chains still remain? Will you let others see how far short you fall? How much you still need God.
