Live the Golden Line: Money, Security, and Trust – Part 24

By Andre Eksteen

In Part 23 we saw that integrity is the heart of calling — that obedience matters more than any form of success. But there is one area where even sincere people slip easily, where faith grows quiet and fear begins to speak — money.

Not because money is evil, but because it wants to be a master. It does not ask you to worship it openly; it only asks that you trust it. And that is where the battle begins.

Jesus said: “You cannot serve God and Mammon.” (Matthew 6:24) He did not say you should not — He said you cannot. It is impossible. These are not merely different priorities; they are two kingdoms that stand in opposition to one another. Mammon promises security, but delivers slavery. God asks for trust and gives peace.

Many people think they live for God, but their hearts beat for Mammon. You do not always hear it in their words, but you see it in their anxiety. They speak of faith, yet sleep with fear. They say they trust the Lord, but they live and plan as though He does not exist.

And yes — I know there will always be someone who says, “He is attacking the rich.” No. I am not speaking only to the wealthy man. I am also speaking to the man who does not know where his next meal will come from tonight. Poverty does not free you from Mammon — it often makes you more desperate for him. Studies show that poor people think about money more than the rich. They dream about it, fight over it, and do anything to get it. These are hard words, but they are true: you can worship Mammon whether you have much or nothing. One worships him to gain more, the other to survive — but both place their trust in him.

Money has a spirit. That is why Jesus calls it by name. Mammon feeds on fear, because fear is his fuel. It is that voice that says, “What if it is not enough? What if you fail? What if you grow old and have nothing left?” And when you believe that voice, you begin to work harder, plan more, save more — but pray less. You become less dependent on God, even though you still believe you are doing the right thing.

I have seen people begin to earn more than they ever dreamed possible, and at the same time lose their peace. They say, “The Lord has blessed me,” yet their eyes never rest. They assume that because their income grows, their faith grows with it. But that is a dangerous deception.

Success is not always blessing. Sometimes it is simply a season of grace before a fall. The Wisdom of Solomon says: “The prosperity of the wicked is short; his abundance becomes a snare to him.” (Wisdom 5:8) God does not look at how much you have; He looks at how you obtain it. He does not measure your worth by your profit, but by your ways.

Money itself is neutral, but the spirit behind it is not. It is the test by which God weighs your heart. Not because He hates money, but because He knows how easily you trade faith for false security.

I learned this myself — the hard way. I watched the sheriff walk onto my property and start making notes. I knew I was losing things I had worked years for. And strangely enough, I was calm. There was a peace in me I could not explain. Not because I did not care, but because I knew God was in control.

He had prepared me long before that day, through pain far deeper than financial loss. I knew I would not fall, because He had a purpose. Like Job, I lost everything, yet my faith remained. And when He restored me, I stood closer to Him than ever before.

Before that, my relationship with Him was personal, something between Him and me. Today it is the wealth of my life. He stopped me and made me realise: the world’s goods are just that — goods. He taught me what true riches are. Not what I keep, but what I share. Today I share His truth with others through my books and writings — and that is wealth no bank can hold.

Mammon always comes with clever logic. He says, “You must be responsible.” And you think it sounds right. Until you realise you plan more than you pray. You speak more to your bank manager than to your Creator.

See how subtle it is. You say, “I will first pay off my debt, then I will give again.” Or, “I will first make this profit, then I will start helping.” And by the time you are done, your heart is cold. That is why Jesus said: “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:21)

Your treasure reveals where your faith lies. If it lies in the bank, your soul lives on credit — and credit always demands repayment.

The world calls this financial wisdom. Heaven calls it unbelief. God does not ask recklessness; He asks trust. He does not ask you to be foolish with money; He asks you not to live for it.

Money is not evil — it is dangerous. It is like water beneath a boat: it is fine as long as it stays below you. But once it seeps into your heart, you sink.

I have heard people say, “God understands that I need to survive.” Yes, He understands — but He still asks for obedience. He asks, “Do you trust Me enough to do what is right, even if it costs you something?”

Remember the widow in the temple. She had only two small coins, and she gave everything. Not because she was foolish, but because she knew true security did not lie in what she held, but in Who held her.

Jesus said she gave more than all the others, because she gave out of her poverty. She trusted.

I have seen wealthy people who are empty — they have everything money can buy, but nothing that brings peace. And I have seen poor people just as empty — living from day to day, always searching for the next coin in their open hands, as if the next coin will buy peace. Both ends of the spectrum are trapped in the same snare: they live for survival, not for surrender.

And yet I have also seen those with little who are rich in spirit, and those with much who remain humble and grateful. It is not the amount that matters — it is the Source. God’s blessing is never measured in money, but in peace. It is the quiet certainty that comes when you know you are where He wants you to be.

Satan’s blessing shines, but brings tension. God’s blessing is quiet, but brings peace. Satan’s gifts come with pressure, anxiety, jealousy, and fear. God’s provision comes with calmness and assurance.

This is how you know which one you have:

If it keeps you awake at night, it is not from God.

If it lets you sleep in peace, it is His blessing.

James writes: “The wisdom from above is pure, peaceable, and full of mercy.” (James 3:17) That is what God’s blessing looks like — order, not chaos; peace, not tension.

Success without peace is not blessing — it is slavery. You work, you plan, you earn — but you live as a prisoner of your own fear. True blessing is to be still and know: He provides.

God will sometimes allow you to struggle. Not as punishment, but as protection. He sees your heart beginning to slide towards self-reliance, and He holds you back to save you.

I have heard people say, “I do not understand why my work is stalled; I am doing everything right.” And I hear the Spirit reply: “Everything except trust.” He restrains you because He is shaping your character.

Look at Moses. He was a prince, but God first had to make him a shepherd before he could lead the people. For forty years he had to learn to be quiet, to wait, to follow God. That is what working for God does: it forms you, it tests you, it shows you who you truly work for.

Now look at the modern man. He starts as a shepherd and tries to become a prince. Many want to begin as princes, because shepherding is beneath their self-image. He wants to lead before he has learned to serve. He wants to speak before he has learned to listen. He no longer works for God; he works for profit, for status, for recognition. His work does not build character — it builds stress. His labour does not bring peace — it brings fear of loss. He works to have more, not to become more.

But God uses work to shape you, not to crush you. When you work for Him, every day becomes an exercise in humility; every task, no matter how small, becomes an opportunity to reflect His character.

Paul was a tentmaker — he worked with his own hands so that he would burden no one. That is why he could preach with authority: his life and his words agreed.

Job lost everything, but his faith remained. And when God restored him, he was blessed double.

The Book of Enoch says: “The Lord knows the righteous by their deeds, not by their words.” (Enoch 94:4) That is still true.

Money is not only a test of your faith; it is the mirror of your trust. You see your true self when the money dries up — not when it flows.

Many people say they trust God, but when the numbers turn, they turn with them. That is when you see whether He is truly your source.

If you lost everything tomorrow, would you still worship Him? Or was He only your insurance policy? Would you blame Him when suffering suddenly comes?

That is where the Golden Line runs — that thin boundary between faith and fear, between possession and surrender.

I say this with conviction: God’s provision always brings peace. That is how you know it is Him. You do not have to defend it, because it defends you. It is calm, ordered, righteous.

Mammon’s provision always brings tension. It shines, but it eats you from the inside. You have everything, yet you never rest.

The Book of Jubilees says: “The wealth of the unrighteous perishes with his fear, but the peace of the righteous endures forever.” (Jubilees 36:2)

If today you feel exhausted by worry, tired of planning, weary under the weight of money — let go. Lay it down. He does not ask you to stop working; He asks you to stop fearing.

Because money can never keep you safe. Only He can.

This is the Golden Line of faith:

The world says: “Protect yourself.”

God says: “Trust Me.”

The world says: “Build security.”

God says: “Build faith.”

The world says: “Be clever.”

God says: “Be faithful.”

If you trust Him, you will never be empty. Your purse may not be full, but your heart will be. Your bank account may not grow, but your faith will flourish.

Jesus said: “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:33) He did not say seek prosperity first; He said seek Him first.

And when you find Him, you find everything.

Deep calls to deep. Answer Him.