Brother A has excused himself for not making the Scriptures his study because he was a businessman. But to one pressed with business cares the Scriptures will be a source of strength and safety. Such a man has greater need of light from the word of God, of its counsels and warnings, than if he were not placed in such a dangerous position. If Brother A would exercise the same forethought and business tact in the things of God that he has given to worldly matters, he would realize blessed results. If he thinks that God is satisfied with him while giving his talent and energy almost entirely to the service of mammon, he is fearfully deceived. Said Christ: “No man 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.” If Brother A continues to make eternal things subordinate to his worldly interests, his passion for accumulating will steadily increase until it will overrule principle, and he will be so blinded by the God of this world that he will be unable to discern between the sacred and the common. {5T 280.2}

Bror A har undskyldt sig selv for ikke at gøre skrifterne til hans studium, fordi han var forretningsmand. Men for én, som er betynget af forretningsbekymringer, vil skrifterne være kilde til styrke og sikkerhed. Et sådant menneske har langt større behov for lys fra Guds ord, dets råd og advarsler, end hvis han ikke var placeret i en så farlig position. Hvis bror A ville udvise det samme fremsyn og forretningssans i Guds sager, som han udviser til verdslige sager, vil han se velsignede resultater. Hvis han tror at Gud er tilfreds med ham, når han giver sine talenter og kraft næsten helt til mammons tjeneste, er han frygtelig bedraget. Kristus sagde: »Ingen kan tjene to herrer; han vil jo enten hade den ene og elske den anden, eller holde sig til den ene og ringeagte den anden. I kan ikke tjene både Gud og mammon«. Hvis bror A fortsætter med at gøre evige ting underordnede for verdslige interesser, vil hans lidenskab for pengeindsamling vokse støt, indtil det bliver et herskende princip og han vil (281) forblindes så meget af denne verdens gud, at han ikke vil være i stand til at skelne mellem det hellige og almindelige.