Daily PresenceSample

Let me ask you a fun question. What would you do if you won the lottery tomorrow? I love this question because it often reveals the truest goals and priorities in a person's heart. Now let me tell you about my dad. My dad is a very wise man but he’s also a bit of a “party pooper.” Anytime I mention what I’d do if I “won the lottery,” he quickly steps in and mentions the massive taxes involved and the sad statistics about squandering winnings. Yes, his realistic outlook kills the mood but it makes me smile anyway. In all his cynicism, he’s right.

As a culture, we have an obsession with the rich and famous! There are a small few who use their wealth for the betterment of humanity, but mostly we’re interested in the crazy billionaires who are worthy of a reality TV series! We love them because with great wealth comes…. a ton of drama! When our character is weak, we’re unable to hold the burden of wealth in a healthy way. This is why so many lottery winners suddenly fall apart and lose everything.

Proverbs 15:16-17 says “Better a little with the fear of the Lord than great wealth with turmoil. Better a small serving of vegetables with love than a fattened calf with hatred.” The verse helps us get our priorities in order. Wealth can be a blessing but the greatest blessing comes from our relationship with God. In Matthew 19:23, Jesus says “...Truly I tell you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

Jesus knows how alluring wealth can be! He also knows our pockets can be full here on earth and then come up empty when our time comes to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. The Book of Proverbs calls us over and over again to remember where our treasure truly lies; In the Kingdom of God. Matthew 6:21 tells us to “…store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”