As children of light, we are called to put first the way of God; to set aside time to mull over worldly concerns in the light of what we understand of God’s world. Our faith and our prayer life inform our view of both worlds and provide a more balanced view; one which is not the result of someone else’s rhetoric and persuasion. Such a view inspires us to take our lead from the example of Jesus. For he was very clear that it just doesn’t work out if we try to serve two masters; it is illogical that it should. In other words, if we allow our main preoccupation to be making money or forging a career or any other aspect of life which we allow to take centre stage, then we cannot make enough space for total commitment to God.

It’s more than challenging. It sounds well-nigh impossible. We live in the world and few of us can turn our back on that entirely. We are bombarded by targeted advertising and social media influencers who can make anything sound desirable and trustworthy.

Restricted budgets and busy lives often mean that we shop without always checking the credentials of the shop we’re buying from, or looking in detail at the provenance of what we’re buying. But fish scraped from the seabed in their millions, in nets that trap dolphins and turtles as well, are unnecessary luxuries our planet simply can’t afford. We need to be aware of these pitfalls and be consistent in avoiding them.

Fortunately, Jesus is there to support us, and his teaching is clear and reassuring. In Luke 12:30, he says:

“ … the pagan world runs after all such things and your Father knows that you need them. But seek his Kingdom and these things will be given to you as well.”

This post is an extract from the sermon on Luke 16:1–13 preached by the Rev Carol Latimer at St Serf’s, Burntisland on 21 September 2025, the Third Sunday in the Season of Creation. Do take time to read the whole of this challenging sermon at this link.

Our silhouette of someone observing images of earth was taken by Hunter Scott and made available on Unsplash