I Didn’t Win the Lottery

 I didn’t win the lottery. I suppose my chances would have been better had I bought a ticket, but not all that much.

There’s been a lot of attention drawn to the winning ticket sold at the Beck Rd. Kroger store this past week. Someone (or, a group of persons) are in line to collect a billion dollars, or, after taxes, half that. There has been a rumor that a group of Novi teachers won. A principal wrote a post that said he won the lottery, not in $$, but in life’s riches and blessings. It was a good post. A nice response.

But as I have thought about how I might respond, I concluded it would be better to publicly declare that I didn’t win the lottery. I really don’t care if you buy a ticket or not, but I’ve never bought one. There are better risks to take. I disagree with the state promoting a system that encourages those who are already in a financial hole to dig even deeper, perhaps out of desperation, because they see no reasonable way out, except to win “the big one.” I don’t like what has been reported about the after-effects of winning a huge prize - wholesale change of lifestyle and friends, and often divorce. It’s an entertaining system, and provokes interesting discussions (what would we do with all that money?). But it is not healthy. And the Bible tells us as much.

Prov. 28:22 A man with an evil eye hastens after wealth 

And does not know that (poverty) will come upon him.

1Tim. 6:9 But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction.

I’m not sure that every person who buys a ticket has “an evil eye,” but I am pretty sure he’s focused on the the wrong thing. I don’t think that every person will do every wrong thing with their winnings, if they are among the infinitesimally small percentage who win - but I am sure that their winnings will cause more problems than they know.

And I think the whole subject obscures the wonderful truth concerning the tremendous riches that belong to the children of God through Christ - a wealth of a different order.

“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.” (2 Corinthians 8:9 NAS95)

OverLords and Underlings

Mankind is to “rule” creation. Creation is not to rule mankind. This “rule” is to be representative of God’s rule, since He was, and is, and always will be the ultimate Maker and Ruler of all of creation. Our rule should be reflective of His character and priorities, honoring such things as righteousness and justice; things like compassion and mercy.

But the point of this article is the one already made, that whatever authority we have to rule, it is always an under-authority.

The kings of Israel were called “sons of God” in that they, in a special way, were anointed to represent and rule God’s people as God would. They ruled best when they remembered this fact, and they ruled oh-so-poorly when they forgot. There were always, at most, under-kings. Not super-kings. Under-kings.

It is not unusual to hear humans talk about their creativity. We were created with an aptitude for creativity, (some more than others) whether the benefits would be practical or aesthetic. You might hear someone say, “Oh, you are so creative.” But our creativity is always derived. We are at best manipulators of God’s creation. We certainly don’t create ex nihilo, out of nothing, as the Great Creator does. Those creatives around us that we admire, they are under-creators. It’s not bad. It’s not nothing. But there is a difference.

We are often impressed by athletes: their strength, coordination, discipline, and commitment. We marvel at their physiques and their mental toughness. And we can aspire to these things (though, face it, most of us are rather ordinary). But we should be careful in making heroes of these individuals. It is not wrong to celebrate their accomplishments, and to admire their dedication. But God gives to each person gifts and aptitudes, as He wills and wishes, and many of us were not cut out to run fast or jump high. But the strongest, fastest and toughest should remember that God is stronger, faster, and tougher.

Perhaps the best Biblical statement on this subject is from Jesus Himself: “you know that the Gentiles are over-lords; .. “not so you.” .. “For the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve.” (Mark 10:42-45)

So even when we serve, and serve well, we are but under-servants. We are only able to serve because He first served us.