“Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”

               -Hebrews 13:5</

In these difficult economic times, many have turned to the lottery as a source of hope in overcoming debt and poverty. Unfortunately, the average consumer will spend far more playing the lottery than they will ever actually win. That’s why lotto companies are able to give a large share of their revenue to educational programs and yet still have millions to give away to that truly lucky individual who manages to win something.

What many fail to understand as they hand over their hard-earned cash in exchange for that microscopic chance of winning more, is that the lottery is a virtual tax on the poor. The possibility of being struck by a car and killed on your way to cash in is even greater than the chances of you winning in the first place! Nonetheless, these companies continue to rake in untold millions from the poor while awarding grants and scholarships to the rich and middle class as justification for their actions.

In addition to the foolishness of betting money on something that will never, ever happen, research has shown that the lucky winner is not always better off after winning. Many become drug-addicts, divorcees, and filers of bankruptcy. Billie Bob Harrell, winner of the $31 million Texas jackpot, admitted that winning the lottery was the worst thing that ever happened to him shortly before he committed suicide to end his miserable earthly life.

Certainly a statistically unsound investment, there are many ways to grow the money you would otherwise waste in hopes of winning the jackpot. Consider, for example, depositing the money you spend on that daily lotto ticket into a bank account or retirement fund. Even a low interest rate will eventually net you more than you’ll ever win playing the lottery – and that’s a guarantee, not a one in 18,000,000 chance!

One of the most common things I see people writing about today is how to manage one’s finances. From Dave Ramsey to Oprah Winfrey, it seems that anyone making more than the average fry cook has something to say on the subject. Of course this isn’t necessarily a bad thing since we obviously need financial advice as a nation, but whenever someone starts telling me how to retire as a multi-millionaire I can’t help but feel a little bit uneasy. Didn’t Solomon exhort us in Proverbs 23:4, “Labor not to be rich”?

“For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”

               -I Timothy 6:10

You may or may not agree with me on this one, but I truly believe America’s lust for money and desire to be rich is precisely why our economy has been a roller-coaster ride over the past several years and why so many families nationwide are losing their homes due to foreclosure and filing bankruptcy. Of course that’s not to say everyone who loses their home has been greedy or selfish with their money, but if our resolve to live a financially sound life stems from the very same desire to be rich that created our problems in the first place then how can we expect to be successful?

Of course none of us would say outright, “I want to be filthy rich.” Most of us even humor ourselves with the thought that we’re actually a content person. Really, we don’t want to be wealthy at all; we just want to drive what wealthy people drive and wear what wealthy people they wear. “If we had more resources,” we tell ourselves, “just think of how effective our ministry would be.” Apparently we’ve misread I Corinthians 1:26-29 and somehow think that, in order to be used by God, we have to have something to offer Him first.

“And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.”

               -I Timothy 6:8

Many times throughout my life I’ve asked the Lord never to make me rich; instead, my prayer has been like that of Agur’s in Proverbs 30:8-9 when he said, “give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: Lest I be full, and deny Thee, and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.” It’s not that I think it’s wrong to have a big bank account. But I’ve seen a camel before and am pretty sure it wouldn’t through the eye of a needle (Mark 10:25). In fact, I doubt a $1 bill would either.

*Photo by Rein Nomm on Photo.net.