Yesterday my boss gave all of us tickets for some lottery. Apparently the winner took home 400 million dollars. Immediately the chatter began as my coworkers speculated how much interest that would bring in, the new houses they could buy, the nice cars they would have at their disposal. For myself, I joined in only to say, "I really don't want all of that money."
Immediately my coworkers turned to me with questions: "Why not?" "Imagine what you could with all of that money - you could study in school forever!" "You could donate it, or could give it to your parents. Don't you want to see them established comfortably for the rest of their lives?"
As if, somehow, money fixes all of the problems, makes life easier, gives the greatest aid to people.
And I realized just how dependent our culture is on the dollar. We think it will take our pain away, eradicate our problems, solve social injustice. Why do you think the government signs so many checks?
We've become used to relying on money.
I don't think money fixes everything. I don't think money fixes anything. One could argue that it pays your bills and buys you food and clothing and shelter. I would say, yes, but only through God's provision first. God is the one who provides the means for your needs. You have money, but you have it because God has provided you with a job.
I don't think money fixes social injustices. We have money floating around all over the place today, but not one cent has truly fixed injustice. Because the root of social injustices is man's own heart, the dollar will never cure social injustices. It might help to alleviate them, but in the end it does very little to address the issue. If anything, money creates greater social injustice, because where money is man's greed follows close behind.
No, Jesus fixes social injustices when He changes the hearts of men.
I want to help people, but I don't want to help them by simply giving them wads of cash. I want to give them the Gospel, a hug, a listening ear, food when they have very little, and love when they have experienced none. I want to give them Jesus first. Cash comes second every time.
Sure, money would fix the schooling issue, but the whole point of why I'm paying for school and working full-time to do it is because it is something I want, and feel called, to do. I love scraping by, discovering how God provides for those needs, becoming creative with what I have, denying myself so that later I can better serve others. All of this money does not enable me to do - God does.
That is why I don't want to win the lottery. Not today, not ever. I like having little, because when I have little I see the wealth that God has given me. He has given me a family, good friends, a good job, a wonderful church, everything I need and then a little more. Most importantly, He has given me Christ. And that is the greatest wealth of all - a wealth that, in all honesty, money will never ever be able buy.
Immediately my coworkers turned to me with questions: "Why not?" "Imagine what you could with all of that money - you could study in school forever!" "You could donate it, or could give it to your parents. Don't you want to see them established comfortably for the rest of their lives?"
As if, somehow, money fixes all of the problems, makes life easier, gives the greatest aid to people.
And I realized just how dependent our culture is on the dollar. We think it will take our pain away, eradicate our problems, solve social injustice. Why do you think the government signs so many checks?
We've become used to relying on money.
I don't think money fixes everything. I don't think money fixes anything. One could argue that it pays your bills and buys you food and clothing and shelter. I would say, yes, but only through God's provision first. God is the one who provides the means for your needs. You have money, but you have it because God has provided you with a job.
I don't think money fixes social injustices. We have money floating around all over the place today, but not one cent has truly fixed injustice. Because the root of social injustices is man's own heart, the dollar will never cure social injustices. It might help to alleviate them, but in the end it does very little to address the issue. If anything, money creates greater social injustice, because where money is man's greed follows close behind.
No, Jesus fixes social injustices when He changes the hearts of men.
I want to help people, but I don't want to help them by simply giving them wads of cash. I want to give them the Gospel, a hug, a listening ear, food when they have very little, and love when they have experienced none. I want to give them Jesus first. Cash comes second every time.
Sure, money would fix the schooling issue, but the whole point of why I'm paying for school and working full-time to do it is because it is something I want, and feel called, to do. I love scraping by, discovering how God provides for those needs, becoming creative with what I have, denying myself so that later I can better serve others. All of this money does not enable me to do - God does.
That is why I don't want to win the lottery. Not today, not ever. I like having little, because when I have little I see the wealth that God has given me. He has given me a family, good friends, a good job, a wonderful church, everything I need and then a little more. Most importantly, He has given me Christ. And that is the greatest wealth of all - a wealth that, in all honesty, money will never ever be able buy.
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