Day 14 - Quit One Job Today

A Weightless Devotional

“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.” —Matthew 6:24 (ESV)

Jesus’ teaching about serving two masters is associated with money, but it could also be applied to the two masters of God and our own plans just as easily. In our hearts, we can only be fully devoted to one, but our anxious thoughts reveal that we are torn between the two.

Anxiety can originate in the attachment you feel to your own plans, hopes, and dreams. When you aren’t sure things will turn out the way you want them to, your soul becomes disturbed. You fear that if what you had envisioned for your life doesn’t happen, you won’t be happy, provided for, or protected. This disturbance in your peace and contentment makes you question God’s choices in not allowing what you had planned in your heart to come to pass.

The truth is that when you serve the master of control, you do not serve the God of the universe. Instead, you are trying to take on roles that are His— being the source of your joy, being your provider, and your protector. In this subconscious process, you put hope in your ability to manage and dictate the course of your life, which you can’t fully do, and that inevitably leads you to stress and worry.

Think about how much energy and time you spend planning and striving to secure your future. Maybe you create detailed plans, set goals, or even map out your path to success and happiness, and while planning is not inherently wrong, it becomes problematic when you can’t find joy or contentment at the thought of your plans or goals not coming to pass. Or maybe you don’t plan—you just worry that the other shoe is about to fall, and life won’t be as great as you’d like it to be. If you’re constantly dwelling on the what-ifs and uncertainties, fearing that if things don’t go according to your script or your hopes, you will be left lacking, then you are literally torn between two masters—and that’s an anxious place to be. In fact, as long as you stay there, anxiety will be your constant companion.

This kind of fear directly contradicts God’s promises. He assures us that He is our joy, our provider, and our protector, and because of that, our future is filled with joy, provision, and protection. When you cling to your hopes and plans, you are looking away from God and toward your own limited understanding of the future, and that’s a recipe for stress.