Curse of the Lottery

I love it when our kids learn valuable lessons from life that don't necessarily come from Susan and me. On the way to the golf course late yesterday afternoon, my son, Aaron, told me about a wonderful life lesson he learned from, of all places, the "E" channel.

He watched a show called "The Curse of the Lottery." Although they did tell of one couple who handled the windfall in a responsible way, the rest of the stories were about those whose lives crumbled after coming into an exhorbitant amount of money.

* Kenneth and Connie Parker won a $25 million jackpot. Their 16 year marriage fell apart soon after they became rich beyond their dreams.

*Jeffrey Dampier, a $20 million winner, was kidnapped and murdered by his own sister-in-law.
*In 2002, Jack Whittaker won the largest individual payout in U.S. lottery history. "I can take the money," Whittaker said at the time. "I can take this much money and do a lot of good with this much money right now."

But it didn't work out like that. Whittaker's life was consumed by hardship, including the death of his beloved granddaughter Brandi, who was a victim of a drug overdose. Then his marriage broke apart. Amidst the smoldering ashes of their ruined lives, Jack's ex-wife Jewell declared, "If I knew what was going to transpire, honestly, I would have torn the ticket up."

As we turned into the drive of the golf course and Aaron was finishing one more story of this lottery curse, he said, "Dad, they call the lottery the poor man's tax. It definitely is not what it's cracked up to be." I was rejoicing inside because Aaron got it -- he witnessed for himself how deceiving money can be, and what pain can result when our greed gets ahold of us.

I thought about that story again this morning, and shared it with our staff and volunteers at our devotional. We read the story of the foolish rich man, where Jesus warns us all:

Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions. -- Luke 12:15

Now it would be so easy for me to moralize and look down on all those greedy lottery winners. And yet I know well my own wandering heart and how greed and covetousness can so easily sneak into the crevices of my soul. I have my own dreams of what I'd want to do with a windfall. Haven't you? I've made my own mental list -- A Canon Rebel XTI digital camera with two or three lenses; a new Toyota Sienna van; a trip to England with Susan to see the land of C.S. Lewis. It would be so much fun to suddenly come into a large sum of money.

But I know in my heart of hearts that there's a barb in that hook of a financial windfall. And that I need to keep taking Jesus at His word where He exhorts us about not worrying about whether or not we'll have enough food. And to keep seeking His kingdom, knowing that He will provide everything I need (not necessarily what I want). I want so much to be content most in knowing and loving Jesus, and realizing in the very depths of my soul that by His grace I am His beloved child.

Thanks, Aaron, for how you pointed me back to the Lord and the true and lasting riches we have in Him.

Jim