Money Makes Us More of What We Are
Published: February 2006
This past week eight people's photographs lined the front page of USA Today and other national papers. The eight were the "lucky" ones who won the US Lottery. They are the new millionaires of America. The total winnings were $136 million. Their individual winnings were $22 million apiece. After taxes each received a lump sum of approximately $15 million dollars. There were seven men and one woman, friends and co-workers at a meat packing plant in Lincoln, Nebraska. Three had emigrated from other nations- two from Vietnam and one from Africa.
They had pooled their money and purchased forty lottery tickets. One ticket had the winning numbers and their lives were forever changed- and actually, "changed" might not be the best word to describe their present state- amplified might be better. As it has said "money simply makes us more of what we are".
I pray these eight people will make the right choices with their new wealth. Their sudden riches will put new and demanding pressures on them. Similar to descending into a hundred feet of ocean water- the pressure is intense and life threatening or being transported to the top of Mt. Everest- where the air is thin, the oxygen rare and every move must be measured and sure.
The downside of "good fortune" as some call it, has been manifest for all to see. While some may have survived their new found wealth, others have crashed and burned.
USA Today news reported the following in an article dated, February 26, 2006:
- "William "Bud" Post, who won $16.2 million in the Pennsylvania Lottery in 1988, had a brother who tried to have him killed for the inheritance. Post lost and spent all his winnings. He was living off Social Security when he died in January."
- "Two years after winning a $31 million Texas Lottery in 1997, Billie Bob Harrell Jr. committed suicide. He had bought cars, real estate, gave money to his family, church and friends. After his death it was not clear whether there was money left for estate taxes."
- "Victoria Zell, who shared an $11 million Powerball jackpot with her husband in 2001, is serving time in a Minnesota prison, her money gone. Zell was convicted in March 2005 in a drug- and alcohol-induced collision that killed one person and paralyzed another."
- "Evelyn Adams, who won the New Jersey Lottery twice, in 1985 and 1986, for a total $5.4 million, gambled and gave away all of her money. She was poor by 2001, and living in a trailer."
(Contributing: Bill Welch and USA TODAY research.)
Bankruptcy, suicide, death threats, lawsuits, prison and poverty; these things are not good fruit for something that has been so widely promoted in our society as "good fortune".
The Bible tells us clearly what will happen to people whose riches come quickly.
"Will you set your eyes on that which is not? For riches certainly make themselves wings; They fly away like an eagle toward heaven." Prov 23:5 (NKJV)
"A man with an evil eye hastens after riches, And does not consider that poverty will come upon him." Prov 28:22 (NKJV)
"There is a severe evil which I have seen under the sun: Riches kept for their owner to his hurt. But those riches perish through misfortune; When he begets a son, there is nothing in his hand." Eccl 5:13-14 (NKJV)
"The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, Whether he eats little or much; But the abundance of the rich will not permit him to sleep." Eccl 5:12 (NKJV)
"Then Jesus said to His disciples, 'Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. And again I say to you, 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.'" Matt 19:23-24 (NKJV)
"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? So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.'" Luke 12:20-21 (NKJV)
"But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows." 1 Tim 6:9-10 (NKJV)
"A faithful man will abound with blessings, But he who hastens to be rich will not go unpunished." Prov 28:20 (NKJV)
The Scripture also describes people such as the rich young ruler who walked away from Jesus of Nazareth because of his possessions; or the rich man Lazarus who ended up in hell after spending his earthly life in pleasure and despising the poor; or the prodigal son who wasted his inheritance with riotous living and had friends only as long as he had money.
If we could trade, I trust most of us would take friends, good health, mental well-being and a good reputation over instant wealth! One winner said his daughter would be happy for the rest of her life. I wonder! Another said "everyone has dreams". I hope the dream does not turn into the nightmare others have experienced.
Obedience to God's economic laws of hard work, diligence, tithing, giving and good stewardship will always produce good fruit. Riches gained hastily will not be blessed in the end.