Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Playing the lottery. God's best?

If you live in America you can walk into almost any supermarket or convenience store and see the lottery machines in the corner with lottery signs displayed on the outside and inside of the building.  If the jackpot rises to a considerable amount of money you will even start to see advertisements on the billboards and the news.  Around the nation people will be hyping up the riches to be won and salivating at the prospect of becoming the next multimillion and having all of their dreams fulfilled with a new life of luxury and ease.  The Bible does not specifically condone gambling but as a Christian, are we honoring God by taking a chance with Lady Luck?

As innocently as it seems in buying a chance at winning a sizeable amount of money, you are actually hurting your relationship with God.  I pose a question.

By seeking quick riches what is your true motivation?

a)  Are you trying to buy happiness?
b)  Do you want more things?
c)  Maybe you would like a better opportunity for you or your family?
d)  You're tired of working?
e)  Maybe your goal is to use it for something honorable like starting a ministry?
f)  Maybe it's some other reason?

God provides what you need in His time.  He knows what you need and what will hurt you.  By trying to seek a quick buck you are saying that:

a)      "God, I am not happy because you haven't given me enough money for me to be happy."

b)      "God, I need more things as you have not given them to me. I want to win the million  
dollars so I can get everything I want."

c)      "God, You have not provided enough for my family so I must now go out and try to do it  
myself."

d)     "God, I hate working and the job you gave me so now I want a life of ease free from  responsibility, growth, and potential witness opportunities." And finally,

e)      "God, I want to serve you but on my terms and my own strength so let me win the million  
            dollars so I can use it to serve you."

God wants to bless us but when we try to take short cuts we subvert what He really desires for us to have.  Around the world money holds many opportunities but it can come with a price.  Instead of seeking riches seek God, serve Him, and let Him reward you with what he thinks is best.  It may not bet what you expected but it WILL BE God's best for you.  Trust in Him to provide and do not seek the worldly way in striving for quick riches.



The Bible does hold references to money and wealth.  For example, Matthew 19:21-23 tells the story of a rich man asking Jesus what he must do to gain eternal life.  The rest of the story is as follows:

21 Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”  22 When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.  23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

Another famous scripture quote is 1Timothy 6:10.  It states:

10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

Now this is not to say that having money or being rich makes you evil or it is a sin.  Jesus’ friend Lazarus, whom He raised from the dead, was a wealthy man.  God does honor and bless people with money through hard work and honest business practices.  Instead, it warns that the love (lust) of or the overwhelming desire maintain wealth can lead to idolization and other sins such as covertness, murder, lying, etc…  In Exodus 20:3, one of God's Ten Commandments is "You shall have no other gods before me."  God does desire for you to prosper, but within His guidelines.  For some people, God has bestowed great wealth.  Some manage it God's way while others do not.

In summary, the Bible clearly warns about money.  You look around today and society is based around it.  However, as Christians, we must constantly remember that everything is His, and not ours, and He is capable of meeting your every need, without money.

Verses for study

Proverbs 13:4, 7-8, 11
4The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing;
But the soul of the diligent shall be made rich.
There is one who makes himself rich, yet has nothing;
And one who makes himself poor, yet has great riches. The ransom of a man’s life is his riches, but the poor does not hear rebuke.
11Wealth gained by dishonesty will be diminished, but he who gathers by labor will increase.
Proverbs 28:19-20, 22
19 He who tills his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows frivolity will have poverty enough! 20 A faithful man will abound with blessings, but he who hastens to be rich will not go unpunished.
22 A man with an evil eye hastens after riches, and does not consider that poverty will come upon him.
Hebrews 13:5-6
Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have.
Luke 16:11
11 Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit   to your trust the true riches?
Proverbs 22:16
16 He who oppresses the poor to increase his riches,
and he who gives to the rich, will surely come to poverty.
Matthew 6:13
13 And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
Titus 1:7
For a bishop must be blameless, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money
Luke 12:15-21
15 And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness,[a] for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.” 16 Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. 17 And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ 18 So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.”’ 20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’ 21 “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

May the Lord bless you!

Kyle

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