The Two Peaks

No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. (Luke 16:13)

I want us to look at values with the perspective of mountain peaks.

What are those peaks? You may be asking.

There are two sides to a human being, two sides that determine not only what a man is made of but go so far as to determine his eternal destination.

There is the material and spiritual. Of course a man is composed of both whether he knows or not. But it is important to know that one side holds ascendance over the other. One side determines what makes him tick. One side determines his values or lack of the same.

But I want us to look at these two sides as two mountain peaks, meaning that one can only climb one at any one time; that to climb the other peak one has to first descend from the one they are on.

There is the focus and the baggage. One peak determines my values and the other my baggage. This is because even the most materialistic among us is still spiritual, only that his spirituality is negative. And of course the most spiritual among us is materialistic, but negatively so. The rest are solidly between the two extreme positions, some completely confused as to which peak they are climbing. Some even think they are climbing a peak when they are very high on the other one.

The rich young ruler (Mark 10) thought he was climbing the spiritual mountain until Christ opened his eyes (and ours too).

But it is important to realize that the two peaks also represent two kingdoms, God’s kingdom and the devil’s kingdom. Again one can very easily be ascribing whatever they are to one kingdom even as they serve the other. I also need to state that very few ignorantly serve God, but there are, Cornelius being one of them (Acts 10). Yet there are multitudes climbing the devil’s peak thoroughly convinced it is God’s peak they are on. Of course I will give you the verses I always quote.

Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. (Matthew 7: 21 – 23)

Of course Matthew 25: 31 - 46 also talks about the same confusion in peaks.

It is therefore important to come up with a few indicators of both peaks to help us determine which peak each of us is climbing as it will be disastrous to be dancing achievement from the wrong peak.

The first distinction is that one peak speaks about the pursuit of God and the other the pursuit of things that represent the prince of the world. In fact mammon is more representative of the devil than it is of things. It is only that the devil thrives in our ignorance that he wants us to think he is nowhere near our pursuit of things.

As an example, if he offered Christ the world if He was willing to bow to Him, do we for one moment think he stopped offering those things if we did the same thing? Or do we think he was tempting the Son of God with something he was not in possession of?

Yet how many times do we hear preacher after another calling things blessings? How many times do we hear preachers equating the acquisition of mammon blessing without knowing how it was got?

A thief is not blessed however accomplished and successful he is. A prostitute is an abomination however many buildings they may possess. And a drug peddler is cursed irrespective of how many pastors or churches he builds.

Money acquired without following God’s revelation could be much. But it is stubble in the eyes of God. And such success is on the wrong peak.

Incidentally being very high on one peak may have no relationship at all with the other peak, except as a deterrent to its climb.

Ambition in the pursuit of that peak will as always dictate the goals one pursues as it is impossible to set goals for the wrong pursuit.

As an example, if one is praying and fasting for a breakthrough in his job or business affairs, do we assume his spiritual pursuit is dictated by His love to grow in the knowledge of God? Can we conclude that because it involves prayer and other spiritual activities that he is spiritually driven?

On the contrary, suppose one is so diligent in his job or business that his clients and customers are always driven to ask him about his faith though he does not make evangelism an active part of the job he does. If his boss knows that there are jobs he would rather be sacked than do because of his faith, do we assume that his excellence at the marketplace is his pursuit?

Do we have Biblical examples?

Look at Daniel. We are introduced to him by being told that he had determined not to defile himself. As we go on we are shown his excellence in whatever responsibility he was given. Never once are we shown him having a religious meeting sharing his faith or running an apologetics class.

Yet what was the unanimous conclusion of anyone who talked about him? His faith. You always hear them referring to the spirit of the holy gods in him.

He excelled in his pursuits beyond those who had no spiritual pursuits.

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. (Matthew 6:33)

But excellence is not only in the preserve of the spiritually aligned. One can also excel in the other peak as well. But there are distinctions. One is divinely inspired whereas the other is self-driven. The motivation source is also different. God’s peak demands the sacrifice of self while the other demands sacrifice for self.

It doesn’t appear much different but it is.

One owes his all to God and the other to self. As is said, one has a price to his head; meaning with just the right price you can get him to do what you want.

Let me give an illustration.

A man sees a very beautiful girl or woman and asks

Can you sleep with me for a million bucks?

The girl thinks and thinks (in a very short time). The opportunity is one of a lifetime.

Yes, she says.

Can you sleep with me for twenty bucks? The man again asks.

Who do you think I am? Are you taking me for a prostitute?

The man then replies.

We have already established that. We are now negotiating the price.

Compare that to Joseph when he faced the same temptation. Acceding to it could have placed him higher than he was as I doubt even his boss could have minded it as I suspect it was his seed they were looking for. Yet see what Joseph says.

How can I do this and sin against God? The husband, his position, everything else was determined by God’s revelation.

You see, on Mammon’s peak everything has its price. They therefore have no exceptions for character or even integrity. God has no place in that peak, unless as part of the price.

One clear indicator one is on that peak is their relation with sin, especially when it involves someone way up on whatever peak they are.

For example, how do you feel when your hero is mentioned in a sin? If you find yourself looking for justification for it, it is highly probable that you are on Mammon’s peak.

God’s peak is allergic to sin and will never try to justify sin even when I am the one involved.

Another thing to notice on Mammon’s peak is the justification we develop to explain why we took the shorter and more ‘beneficial’ route. Of course we have to pursue comfort above many other things. John 16: 33 has no place for someone on Mammon’s peak, unless it is the pain of pursuing those dreams.

Another verse that is also out is 1Timothy 6: 6. One must aim higher but never get there. That is why you see enough battles once someone dies as what they had amassed is so much that the family fights for more than a generation to divide it, yet he was still looking for more. And we know the lawyers and courts had a field day as the family pursued that inheritance. Now imagine all that money; feeding the lawyers, the court system and still remain so much that once in a while a new case will arise over it. And the one who had it was still looking for it, some of them even denying themselves simple pleasures so as not to deplete it.

The saddest is something in the courts. A mother is seeking to snatch wealth from his son’s widow, whatever pretext she is using. If that is not poverty then tell me what is. Or the other one whose granddaughter died because she couldn’t access drugs yet the patriarch was a multibillionaire. But that is a clear indicator of being on Mammon’s peak.

Mammon will never say ‘enough’. There will always be a new peak to climb with new and more stringent tests. That is why a thief doesn’t stop stealing. That is why a harlot will never stop the trade even after making enough money to stop it. That is why a corrupt person will not stop being so however much he makes. That is why a grabber of this or the other will not stop even after making everything his.

Mammon gives you a small hole to fill. But it grows in size the more you pour in it. It then becomes all-encompassing that you forget why there was a hole or what it represented in the first place. The security you sought when you started becomes completely forgotten once filling that growing gaping hole becomes your obsession.

Then sleep and food become luxuries. Depression and disillusionment many times set in.

God’s peak has a completely different set of ambitions.

Probably the greatest difference is that God’s peak has attainable goals and offers constant guidance and peace when you climb it.

Do not for one moment think I am talking about the secular and the spiritual. Many pastors and bishops today are clearly on Mammon’s peak and even the unreached world knows.

Daniel was not a pastor. Joseph was not a bishop. Yet their peak was clear to those around them. The Sadducees were the bishops of those days and they were the ones who conspired and bribed to have Christ killed.

God’s peak demands that you are faithful to Him in all you do. He demands obedience to Him. But He promises guidance as we seek to walk in obedience.

My sheep hear My voice, I know them and they follow Me

That is God’s peak.

You see, the only thing that pleases God is our obedience. And the reward of that obedience, apart from excellence is peace.

But it also has an insatiable ambition, though not in the sense Mammon produces.

That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3: 10 – 14)

Compare that with the insatiable grasp Mammon offers!