“No one can serve two masters;
for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be
devoted to one and despise the other.
You cannot serve God and wealth.”Matthew 6:24
As Jesus moves toward His invitation to “seek first the kingdom,” He identifies something hidden but deeply true: worry is often the child of divided loyalty.
Two masters. Two aims. Two centers of gravity pulling the heart in opposite directions.
Jesus isn’t merely talking about wealth — He is talking about rival allegiances:
- security vs. trust
- earthly stability vs. God’s kingdom
- self-protection vs. surrender
- control vs. worship
- fear vs. faith When the heart tries to follow multiple masters, anxiety grows like vines wrapping around the soul. Divided devotion makes us spiritually exhausted. It confuses priorities. It makes tomorrow feel heavy. This is why Jesus speaks so directly: “You cannot serve two masters.” Not because God is harsh, but because human hearts are limited. We were not designed to carry more than one ultimate allegiance. And in the end, as Jesus told Mary, only one thing is truly important — GOD and our relationship to Him. A divided heart always becomes a worried heart. And Jesus knows this. He isn’t trying to shame us — He is trying to set us free. Because there is freedom in singular devotion. Freedom in clarity. Freedom in having one Master whose love is perfect, whose purposes are good, whose leadership is gentle, and whose faithfulness is unshakeable. When God alone is the Master of your heart, fear loses leverage. Control loosens. Anxiety weakens. The future stops feeling like a threat. Jesus is not saying that wealth is evil. He is saying it cannot be God. And it cannot carry the weight of your soul. Wealth is temporary. God is eternal. Wealth can vanish. God never changes. Wealth can disappoint. God satisfies. Wealth can betray. God remains faithful. Trying to serve both is like trying to walk in two directions at once — exhaustion without progress. But when the heart turns toward one Master — the right One — the whole life aligns. This is why Jesus teaches about masters before teaching about worry: because much of our anxiety is born from misplaced devotion. A heart centered on Christ can face tomorrow without being crushed by it. And Jesus Himself lived this way — fully submitted to His Father’s will, undivided in loyalty, unwavering in devotion. His peace flowed from His trust. His clarity flowed from His worship. His freedom flowed from His surrendered heart. The path He walked is the path He invites you into. Laying down rival masters. Letting go of lesser allegiances. Releasing the grip of earthly security. Resting in the care of a Father who knows everything you need. In that place of single devotion, worry loses its throne. Because the heart has chosen its Master — and He is trustworthy.
This devotional is excerpted from Do Not Worry About Tomorrow by D.C. Robertsson.
