Here’s a Million!

Recently a coworker told me that he would give me one-million dollars if he won the Powerball jackpot.  At the time the prize was 1.4 billion dollars, eventually making it to 1.6 billion dollars.

 

Indeed the largest jackpot in the history of mankind.  So much money that one would instantly be wildly rich and my coworker, like people throughout the entire country, was having conversations with others for days about what he would do with all of that money.  My response to him made him stop for a moment.

 

I replied that I did not want the money.  He shrieked out a “what do you mean you wouldn’t want it, a million bucks!?”  Exactly, I didn’t want it, I didn’t care.

 

Of course I have bills I could pay off, I could buy a house, I could do this or that, but what I could do at the moment is no longer stand to listen to such nonsense.  While the odds where overwhelming that this man would still just be a cook, with 1 in 292 million, the reality was that men and women just like him where having conversations and thoughts about what they would do should the money-gods be on their side.

 

He wasn’t alone, in fact I was the outsider, I was the one who didn’t care to participate in such worthless talk and the one who would honestly tell him to keep his money should he become the winner.  I replied to him that I wouldn’t take the money, I would simply give it away, it was a distraction, a hassle and not worth my time.

 

Suddenly it was then, “it is just a million dollars”.  This sort of thought comes from someone who has already pondered what they would do with over a billion dollars.  Already thinking like a ‘rich man’. I once again insisted that I didn’t want nothing to do with the money.  At this point I interjected what had made me so angry this day regarding these conversations.

 

All across the country people were having discussions of what they would do with the money should they win and which man out there was considering that even if he won and was wildly rich that one day he would die and stand before God?  Which man was considering what he would do when He stands before God?  Which is more important to consider, the money or getting right with God?

 

My coworker considered this for a moment and stated that I had made my point, he no longer talked to me about giving me money, but continued the conversation with others.  Later that night I went to the local marketplace where my regular cashier was working.

 

He began a conversation at the checkout about what I would do with the money.  I laughed and stated that I wasn’t playing and didn’t care.  Afterwards he told me that he was simply making talk and had been mentioning it to customers all day long to hear what they would say.  As he took the groceries out to our car and helped load them in, he made mention once more about the Powerball game.  Here I related to him the same thing I had told my coworker earlier in the day.  He simply looked at me and stated “good point”.

 

It is a good point and one that people should consider.  Even if by chance you inherited much money, won a large prize, or simply had a great income, you too will also stand before the Most High.

 

Are you ready to stand before God?  Have you accepted His Son as your Savior? What are you waiting for, God wants everyone to come to repentance and believe into His Son, becoming ‘winners’ against sin and of those who inherit eternal life.

 

“So then each of us shall give account concerning himself to God.”  Romans 14:12

 

And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God. And books were opened.  And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life.  And the dead were judged according to their works, out of the things which were written in the books. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them.  And they were judged, each one, according to their works.  And Death and Hades were cast into the Lake of Fire.  This is the second death.  And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the Lake of Fire.”  Revelation 20:12-15

 

“The Lord is not slow concerning His promise, as some count slowness, but is longsuffering toward us, not purposing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”  2nd Peter 3:9

 

“For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?”  Mark 8:36

 

“And this is the promise that He has promised us: Eternal Life.”  1st John 2:25