|
$51,200,000
LOTTERY JACKPOT!
Not long ago the media announced that an Austin couple had
won the $51.2 million Texas lottery! Most of us have difficulty
conceiving of such a huge sum of money. If you were to earn
$1.00 a minute and worked 60 minutes an hour, 24 hours a
day, you would have $1,440 at the end of the day and $525,600
at the end of a year. At that rate, it would take you about
hundred years to accumulate the lottery jackpot. With this
jackpot you could purchase 2,560 cars, each valued at $20,000!
You could buy 512 houses, each costing $100,000! It is an
incredible sum of money to imagine!
The lottery winners, Robert and Beverly Chody, refused to
speculate how they plan to spend this astonishing amount
of money which was given to them in a lump sum. Hopefully,
as Christians, we would not gamble by playing the lottery
ourselves. However, if someone were to unexpectedly give
you $51.2 million, what would you do with it? Think for a
moment and try to answer this question. A few comments come
to my mind as I think about such an extravagant amount.
First, receiving such an amount would be extremely
dangerous. Scripture warns again and again of the
peril of riches. Paul writes, "Those who
want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and
many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into
ruin and destruction" (1 Timothy 6:9). Although
money, per se, brings temptations and a snare (or trap),
most people would love to receive the incredible amount
mentioned above. Jesus also warned about the danger of
riches. He told His disciples, after the "rich" young
ruler turned away from the Lord, "How hard it
will be for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom
of God!" (Mark 10:23). He went further: "It
is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle
than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God" (v.
25). Indeed, simply having (and retaining) monetary wealth
is a spiritual death sentence and a bar to God’s
coming Kingdom! Do we really believe our Lord’s
sobering words?
Second, having such wealth would bring deception into
one’s life. We are often warned about how
riches deceive those who eagerly seek it. Jesus describes
certain people who hear and respond to the word of God,
but "the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness
of riches, and the desires for other things
enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful" (Mark
4:19). People think that all is well when they have plenty
of money and are able to buy whatever they want, but
Jesus says that riches deceive. Even professing "Christians" who
are wealthy deceive themselves by thinking they can give
10% or 20% of their income to the Lord and gain His favor—while
they revel in extravagance and worldly pleasure with
the remaining 80% of their income. Having great amounts
of money is spiritually deceptive!
Third, most people who have wealth fail the test of
love. What do we mean by this? The use of money
and possessions is a chief test of one’s
love. Biblical love is an outgoing care and concern for
the welfare of others. Paul wrote to the Corinthians
about the needs of the saints in Jerusalem (1 Corinthians
16:1-3; 2 Corinthians 8-9). He pointed out to them that
their giving to meet this need was a test of the "sincerity" of
their love (2 Corinthians 8:8). He said that helping
the poor saints in this way would be a "proof" of
their love (v. 24). When we see a professing Christian
driving a $50,000 Lincoln or Mercedes, is this not evidence
that there is a lack of love? If genuine love
were found, the person could get by on something less
extravagant and give the difference for the blessing
of others. Can we really live in regal splendor while
in some parts of the world, people live on $1,000 or
$300 per capita income? Early Christians were willing
to use their money to help the poor and needy (Acts 2:44-45;
4:34-35; Galatians 2:10), as well as to support teachers
(Galatians 6:6), elders (1 Timothy 5:17-18), and preachers
(1 Corinthians 9:14). Our use of money is a test of our
love for and faithfulness to God and our love for others
(Luke 16:10).
Much more could be said about the subject of money but this
must suffice. We began with the subject of $51.2 million
and how you would use it if it were given to you. We ask
the question: How would you use such an amount? Surely
it would not be wrong to pay for a modest house that is accommodating
for you and your family. It would be right for you to support
your family and your needy relatives (cf. 1 Timothy 5:8).
It would be permissible to spend some of this on your business
if this were needed. If you need reliable transportation,
we assume it would be reasonable to purchase a serviceable
and modest car, truck or van. But beyond these proper and
righteous expenses, how would you use the bulk of this earthly
treasure?
Paul gives some guidelines in 1 Timothy 6:17-19 to those
who are considered "rich." This may include many
of our present readers. "Instruct those who are rich
in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their
hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God who richly
supplies us with all things to enjoy. Instruct them to do
good, to be rich in good words, to be generous and ready
to share, storing up for themselves the treasure of a good
foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of
that which is life indeed."
What do we learn from this inspired instruction? Riches
are uncertain for they can be taken away. We must not place
our hope and confidence in riches. If God gives us earthly
wealth, we must not be conceited or proud about this—but
humbly acknowledge God as the gracious Giver. We can enjoy
earthly blessings that God gives to us. We should share with
others the abundance that we have been given—sharing
to the point that we no longer are overflowing in riches
ourselves and no longer live in extravagance of possessions.
And what is the outcome of such a life of outgoing love
manifested in the giving of our earthly wealth? We will have
an eternal heavenly treasure and be able to look forward
to the joys of eternal life in the age to come! Paul is simply
echoing the Lord Jesus in saying this (cf. Matthew 6:24-34).
Probably none of us will have $51,200,000 in our lifetime.
Most of us will probably not earn or be given more than a
million dollars all of our earthly pilgrimage.
But what are we doing with our present income? How
do you spend your $100 or $300 or $500 or $1,000 paycheck?
Do you responsibly spend your $1.00 bill and $5.00 bill as
a good steward of what God has given to you? Jesus says that
how we spend our money is a gauge of our entire life of faithfulness
(Luke 16:10). How do you spend your money now? Don’t
be concerned about the $50 million that you will never have.
But be seriously concerned about what God places in your
hand today!
Richard Hollerman
|
