Dear Reader,

The ads are everywhere, and the winnings are enticing. What shall I do? Spend a few dollars every day or week, in hopes of winning the big one, and be set for life? Sounds good, doesn’t it. In fact, it sounds too good to be true.

There is a great danger in trying to get rich quick, in trying to beat the system, in trying to get ahead or to the top the quickest and most inexpensive way possible. The major problem is that only a very few ever win anything of any value. Most persons just continue to lose even what little they have. For example, a person who is struggling to make it financially may be tempted to spend those dollars in an effort to increase cash, only to lose what they could not afford to give away. If the pattern continues, they actually lose more than they could hope to win. On the other hand, if a person does win the jackpot, they have actually taken money from others who, through their unwise financial decisions, have used money that should have gone to feed and clothe and house their family and children. Yes, you’re right, that was a choice not made by you, but the fact remains that someone else lost the money you won. That is true whether we are talking about the state lottery or a poker game, or betting on sports. Someone is a loser, and the losses suffered affect others, as well. Do you really want to be party to causing a child to go hungry or homeless?

From a recent article in Christian Counseling Today, I picked up the following statistics: As a lottery ticket buyer, a person is 5 times more likely to be eaten by a shark, 7 times more likely to be struck by lightning, 6,000 more times likely to be hit by a car, and 500,000 times more likely to die in an airplane crash than to win a state lottery. Those are not very good odds, are they?

The Bible tells us that if a man does not work, neither should he eat (II Thessalonians 3:10). As well, the Bible indicates the value of having a job or task, and doing it to the best of our ability. Our work life needs to have balance, and our self-worth is not contingent totally upon what we do, But doing our work well, and earning what we have brings a deep sense of self satisfaction. To please God with that which we have earned has its own rewards that will last a lot longer than the money itself. That’s worth having!

Thanks for reading,
Pastor Ritchey