24 No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will stand by and be devoted to the one and despise and be against the other. You cannot serve God and mammon (deceitful riches, money, possessions, or whatever is trusted in).
Matthew 6:24 AMPC
We can't serve God & Money
Jesus is telling us in Matthew 6 that it is impossible to serve God and money. We will either serve one and not the other. Sometimes, other things can be idolized before God. I used to put sports and money before serving God. When I got to the NFL the Lord was showing me that I should be serving Him with all my heart.
In 2010, I had the opportunity to go to Hollywood and get into acting. I was going to be connected with an agent of a worldwide music pop star. The Lord warned me the morning of at church to not take the opportunity. When I had told my dad no that I can't do it, my dad disowned me. He said, "My son would never turn down millions of dollars." He was really upset. I couldn't go against the warning from God. That path was not for me. If I served money, I would have ignored the warning from God and took the opportunity and would have been in Hollywood.
I love my dad, but I love God more and I just want to please Him (Matthew 10:37).
Another reason why I was able to say, “no” was because from age 7-22 we lived in nice homes and drove nice cars. When I was 7 years old we lived in Teaneck, New Jersey in the suburbs with houses valued around 6 figures. In 2001, we moved to Upper Saddle River, NJ with homes valued at 1.5 million and up. We lived on an acre of land and drove nice cars. I already knew what it felt like to have money and drive nice cars. Even when we had those things I still felt empty inside. I remember getting my first NFL game check sitting in my 750Li BMW and still feeling empty. The only thing that filled that void for me was Jesus and His Holy Spirit to give me peace. There is nothing wrong with having millions of dollars or an abundance of money. We should get it the way God leads us and also use it to help others.
*Below are pictures from our house when we lived in Upper Saddle River.
*Picture below is from high school when I threw a party in our basement where we had a pool room, bar, living room space, weight room, and my bedroom was also in the basement.
24 [Aroused] by faith Moses, when he had grown to maturityand become great, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter,
25 Because he preferred to share the oppression [suffer the hardships] and bear the shame of the people of God rather than to have the fleeting enjoyment of a sinful life.
26 He considered the contempt and abuse and shame [borne for] the Christ (the Messiah Who was to come) to be greater wealth than all the treasures of Egypt, for he looked forward and away to the reward (recompense).
Hebrews 11:24-26 AMPC