The question has been posed, "what would you do with $1,300,000,000?"
My first thought is travel. Hop on a plane, take a few friends and travel the world. Ride elephants in India, travel the streets of China, go into the mountains of unreached people groups and tell them about Jesus. I would visit the Aztec ruins and swim in the Dead Sea. I would lay under the stars in the Australian outback and see the majesty of God's creation. I would go scuba diving and lounge on beaches for hours.
My second thought is a car. It would be nice to have a car that I would be confident that it would get me from point A to point B without something terrible breaking. It would also be nice to have automatic windows and locks.
Then I would buy myself a nice house and pay off my family's debts and buy all the things needed for luxury.
But I wonder, would God be glorified?
I win a billion dollars and I never have to need again. My need for reliance on God's provision has been thieved.
I win a billion dollars and I never have to want again. All my cravings for new things will always be filled. How easy would it be to fill an account and swipe that credit card over and over again without fear of debt?
And if I could do whatever I want, would I leave the very center of God's will? Sure I could travel and fill my hearts desires, I could never work again and do anything, but would it be God's call on my life?
I was talking about the lottery with a friend from work and I told him I would still pursue my degree in counseling. He was baffled, why would I pursue my degree if I could be financially stable for the rest of my life?
There lies the question.
If I had no 'physical' need for God, if I could have anything I want, would I still serve him? His value is so much deeper then I will ever understand. He is infinite and wonderful and true.
I don't want to win the lottery. I don't want $1,000,000,000. Because I'm pretty sure if I had that much money, I would forget my need for God. If I had that much stability, I wouldn't rely on God to provide for me. If I had that much money, the temptation to do whatever I wanted might be greater then my fear of the Lord.
As difficult as it is to rely on God from one paycheck to the next for my college bills and gas and car payments, its more fulfilling and I am growing to know his character more and more every day.
As wonderful as it would be to do whatever I want, it wouldn't be in the center of God's will, I wouldn't be serving God to my greatest potential.
So, I don't want to win the lottery, I want to win Jesus. I don't want to fall for money, I want to fall in love with Jesus every day. I don't want my life to be dictated by the chains of money, I want my life to be found in the freedom offered in Christ.
I would choose being physically poor over being spiritually deprived any day.
What would you do with $1,300,000,000?
I win a billion dollars and I never have to need again. My need for reliance on God's provision has been thieved.
I win a billion dollars and I never have to want again. All my cravings for new things will always be filled. How easy would it be to fill an account and swipe that credit card over and over again without fear of debt?
And if I could do whatever I want, would I leave the very center of God's will? Sure I could travel and fill my hearts desires, I could never work again and do anything, but would it be God's call on my life?
I was talking about the lottery with a friend from work and I told him I would still pursue my degree in counseling. He was baffled, why would I pursue my degree if I could be financially stable for the rest of my life?
There lies the question.
If I had no 'physical' need for God, if I could have anything I want, would I still serve him? His value is so much deeper then I will ever understand. He is infinite and wonderful and true.
I don't want to win the lottery. I don't want $1,000,000,000. Because I'm pretty sure if I had that much money, I would forget my need for God. If I had that much stability, I wouldn't rely on God to provide for me. If I had that much money, the temptation to do whatever I wanted might be greater then my fear of the Lord.
As difficult as it is to rely on God from one paycheck to the next for my college bills and gas and car payments, its more fulfilling and I am growing to know his character more and more every day.
As wonderful as it would be to do whatever I want, it wouldn't be in the center of God's will, I wouldn't be serving God to my greatest potential.
So, I don't want to win the lottery, I want to win Jesus. I don't want to fall for money, I want to fall in love with Jesus every day. I don't want my life to be dictated by the chains of money, I want my life to be found in the freedom offered in Christ.
I would choose being physically poor over being spiritually deprived any day.
What would you do with $1,300,000,000?
Great post Leah!I like your thoughts I am glad you are grounded in your faith, that is worth way more than $1,300,000,000.
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