A church member came to his pastor's study one day. The pastor could see that the man looked deeply troubled. The man said, “Pastor, I need to talk. I feel so empty, so dried up inside, I'm scared." His voice began to quiver just a bit. He said “Pastor, I have just come from the doctor's office, and he told me that I have only six months at best to live. After I left the office, I realized that I have no spiritual resources, no inner strength to cope with this. There is nothing to fall back on, to lean against. Many people would be surprised to hear me say that, for I have made lots of money, and people think I am a success not only at making money, but at being a strong, powerful person."

He then fell quiet, and the pastor waited in silence for him to go on. Finally the man said, “You know I'm poor in the things that count the most. I see it now. I've put my faith in the wrong things, and the truth is I am destitute, spiritually destitute. I could pick up the phone and call any bank in Houston and borrow any amount of money to do whatever I wanted to. Just on my name, Reverend, just on my name! Do you understand? I could borrow it on my name only."

The man then leaned forward and put his head in his hands, and said softly through tears, “I guess there are some things you can't buy or borrow."

This man's material bank was full to overflowing, but his spiritual bank was empty. Is that your situation? Then you are serving mammon and not God.