Randy Alcorn's Blog, page 167

Might Some Animals Talk on the New Earth?

 

Most people who’ve enjoyed the children’s stories of Beatrix Potter, C. S. Lewis, or others who wrote of talking animals have probably never seriously considered the possibility that some animals might actually have talked in Eden or that they might talk on the New Earth.

We’re told that in Eden the serpent was “more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made” (Genesis 3:1). More crafty suggests that some of the other animals were also crafty. Animals were smart, probably smarter than we imagine; the most intelligent animals we see around us are but fallen remnants of what once was. The serpent’s intelligence was demonstrated in reasoning and persuasive speech. People typically imagine that Satan possessed a dumb animal, the snake, but the text doesn’t say that. Today Satan can speak through a human being but not an animal because people can talk and animals can’t. But the fact that he spoke through an animal in Eden suggests the animal had the capacity to speak. There’s no suggestion Eve was surprised to hear an animal speak, indicating other animals also may have spoken.

When God spoke through Balaam’s donkey, was he merely putting words into her mouth, or did he temporarily give the donkey the ability to verbalize her instinct, perceptions, and feelings? On the New Earth, might God, as John Wesley surmised, restore or increase both the intelligence and the communicative abilities of animals? Whales and dolphins communicate in highly specific ways, as do many primates, in varying degrees. These are God-given abilities. We should assume they’ll be enhanced on the New Earth or at very least restored to the capabilities they had in Eden, where it’s possible more than one animal talked.

In a universe teeming with God’s creativity, should talking animals or intelligent non-human beings (such as angels and “living creatures” that not only talk but worship) surprise us? If people will be smarter and more capable on the New Earth, should it surprise us that animals might also be smarter and more capable? Remember, both in the Fall (sin) and the rise (resurrection), as goes mankind, so goes creation.

When in John’s vision of Heaven he says, “I heard an eagle that was flying in midair call out in a loud voice” (Revelation 8:13), it may be figurative language. But when the serpent spoke to Eve and when the donkey spoke to Balaam, the stories are recorded in historical narrative, not in apocalyptic literature. Nothing in the context of the Genesis account or the Balaam story indicates these shouldn’t be taken literally. Furthermore, living creatures— animals—verbalize praise to God. And “every creature” in the universe is said to sing and give praise to the Lamb (Revelation 5:13). The word for creature in that verse is ktisma, which clearly means “animals” in its only other appearance in Revelation (8:9). Just because these passages are in the book of Revelation doesn’t mean they cannot be literal.

C. S. Lewis gives us a creative glimpse of what the resurrected Earth might be like. In The Magician’s Nephew, King Aslan declares the sons of Adam and daughters of Eve, now in Narnia on its first day, to be his kings and queens. The talking animals make crowns for the first king and queen and express their delight in being ruled by these humans.

One of the animals who watches this scene is a horse named Strawberry, who drew a London carriage on Earth. He toiled, and sometimes his master Frank, a cabbie and a good man, whipped him to make him move faster. Strawberry, whom Aslan renamed Fledge, marvels at the new King Frank in the New Narnia: “My old master’s been changed nearly as much as I have! Why, he’s a real master now.”

Aslan later says to King Frank and Queen Helen, “Be just and merciful and brave. The blessing is upon you.”

All the people celebrate.

All the animals rejoice.

Aslan, Lord of all, is pleased.

photo credit: La sonrisa de Honey via photopin (license), cropped

Should we have and use credit cards?

As of 2010, the average American credit card holder owed over $8,000 to credit card companies. And while those with extreme debt pull that average up, it’s equally true that those who pay off their cards in full every month pull it down. The average college student owes about $20,000 in student loans by graduation, some three times that much, plus another $3,000 in credit card debt on nonessentials.

Credit cards facilitate impulse buying, typically for unnecessary and self-indulgent purchases. When using credit, consumers buy more, buy what they don’t need, and pay more for it.

Like being handed the controls of a deadly weapon with a hair trigger, many people are propelled by their credit cards into irresponsible debt that entails exorbitant interest, often 15 to 20 percent annually. (Even when it’s under 10 percent, it adds up quickly.) The person with a $2,000 balance (at 19.5 percent interest) is told he can pay just $75. But he doesn’t realize that the first $32.50 of that $75 is interest! He goes right on charging “sale” items and digging an ever deeper hole.

If you carry a $7,000 balance on an 18 percent credit card and pay the 2 percent minimum payment each month, you’ll end up paying more than $20,000 for that $7,000. All those things you bought at half price? They may cost you three times what you think they did.

Some people use credit cards for the convenience, paying off the full amount owed on every statement so they don’t ever pay interest costs. We do this ourselves, and in twenty-five years we have never paid any interest. This approach has advantages, but it also has drawbacks. Citibank calculates that a consumer using a credit card will buy 26 percent more than he would if he were carrying cash, even if he pays it all off without interest charges.

Here are some simple rules:

Never use your credit cards for anything except budgeted purchases.
Pay your balance in full every month.
The first month you have a credit card bill you cannot pay in full, perform plastic surgery—cut the card in half and don’t get another one.

Even if you pay the full amount when due and avoid interest charges, if it’s psychologically easier for you to lay down a credit card than to part with cash, you shouldn’t own a credit card. If you carry a credit card and say, “I won’t use it except for emergencies when I would have used cash anyway,” you may minimize the drawbacks. But keep an eye on your spending. The ancient book of Proverbs applies directly to our use of credit cards: “A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences” (Proverbs 22:3).

When it comes to credit cards, be wise, not foolish. 

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photo credit: Credit Karma via photopin (license), cropped

Five Years Later, a Story About a Super Bowl Blessing

Some of you will remember the 2010 Super Bowl commercial, produced by Focus on the Family and featuring a prolife message from Pam Tebow about her son, Tim. (I share more about the Tebows and Pam’s difficult pregnancy in a past blog.)

Five years later, we get a glimpse of how God has used that “controversial” commercial to His glory. This is a great story about a heart touched and a life saved:

Go to the Focus on the Family site to read more about Susan’s story and to get a free excerpt from my book Why ProLife?.

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Fifty Shades of Grey: A Dangerous Distortion of God’s Design

There are innumerable pressures put upon us by society, especially through the media, to abandon God’s blueprint for sexual purity. The new movie Fifty Shades of Grey, based on the bestselling book by the same title, is the world’s latest attempt to make appealing and “normal” what God says is sin.

Sadly, many people, possibly including some Christians, will go to watch the movie—and in the process, be amused and entertained by what offends a holy God. Scripture tells us, “To fear the LORD is to hate evil” (Proverbs 8:13) and “sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints” (Ephesians 5:3)

Part of what makes Fifty Shades of Grey so dangerous is that it twists and distorts God’s design and intentions for sex. Often we fail to understand that the most magnificent gifts of God, taken outside their God-intended boundaries, become utterly ruinous.

Think about two of the most powerful things God has created: fire and water. What would we do without them? But have you ever seen water out of control? Flood, tidal waves, and tsunamis are devastating. Have you ever seen fire out of control—a forest fire or a house burning to the ground? Have you seen somebody’s body covered with burns? It is absolutely horrific. So it is with sex. Its potential for great good has a flip side—potential for great evil.

There’s much more that could be said about the movie and its dangers. But I think Kevin DeYoung sums it up well when he writes in an excellent post, “Some movies do not deserve sophisticated analysis. They deserve sober repudiation. If the church cannot extend grace to sexual sinners, we’ve lost the heart of the gospel. And if we cannot tell people to stay away from 50 Shades of Grey, we’ve lost our minds.”

Of course, some will think I’m overreacting when I say this: Satan is behind this movie. But there you go, I—who do not see the devil behind every bush—believe it, because I have a Christian worldview, and the Bible says, “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). This is a movie that will devour many people, as the book has done, and drag them down into the black hole of immorality.

Am I being an alarmist? I don’t think so, because I’ve seen in people’s lives the utter ruin and devastation that comes from sexual perversity. Fifty Shades of Grey wasn’t the first, nor will it be the last strategy from the pit of hell. But make no mistake, that’s where it’s from. I’m especially sad that many young people will be dragged down with this in the “read it/see it because it’s cool” culture.

If you’d like to do some more reading about how to dialogue with others about the movie and book, I recommend these resources:

Fifty Shades of Nay: Sin Is a Needle, Not a Toy, by Marshall Segal with Desiring God
Five myths about Fifty Shades of Grey, by Emily Whitten with WORLD Magazine
7 Lessons from Fifty Shades of Grey, by Tim Challies and Helen Thorne

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The Sin of Gluttony, and a Reminder of What We Really Hunger for

A problem seldom addressed in Western churches is gluttony. Whether you are fat or skinny, God’s Word tells us that gluttony—eating too much—is a sin (Proverbs 23:2, 20, 21; Philippians 3:19).

In this blog, I’ve included an answer from John Piper in which he provides some insight into dealing with this sin in our own lives. As John notes, Scripture often describes our longing for God as a deep hunger or thirst. Hunger and thirst are basic drives in our bodies, and there is also a hunger and thirst of the soul. This fallen world, including food and drink, can never ultimately and fully satisfy our fallen selves. But we keep going back to it, as if it can. We set our sights on the objects of a thousand different desires, none of which give us the lasting pleasure we long for.

Scripture reminds us that Christ is what we really crave, and what alone will satisfy our deepest hunger: “How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house: you give drink from your river of delights. For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light” (Psalm 36:7-9).

Here’s what John has to say:

How can I conquer gluttony?

There are a lot of reasons for obesity in our culture. It's not just that we eat a lot of bad food. We're also pretty inactive and don't do a lot of walking, running, biking, etc. Oftentimes obesity issues are connected as much to activity issues as they are to what goes into our mouths. Muscles are designed to burn food, but if they aren't being used then any amount of food is going to result in obesity.

But "gluttony" is a better word to use in this context rather than "obesity," because overeating is where the problem is, not how much you weigh. There are all kinds of reasons why a person might weigh too much or too little that is not a result of gluttony.

Gluttony is having a craving for food that conquers you.

The text of Scripture that holds out the challenge to me on this issue is 1 Corinthians 6:12 where Paul says—specifically in regard to food and drink—that he will not be enslaved by anything. He is saying, "I have one master, Jesus Christ, and I don't want any other master." Then in 9:27 he talks about pummeling his body: "I pummel my body lest I be disqualified."

I think we need to recover a large appreciation for the biblical disciplines of self-denial and fasting. That is the discipline side of this issue: "I will not be enslaved by anything," "I pommel myself," and "I take up my cross daily." I think we should esteem, extol, and cherish the biblical teaching that the Christian life is one of confronting our cravings and saying no to them.

But easier said than done, right?

So how do you fight the battle? I think it must be fought mainly not with the word "No" but with an alternative "Yes."

Read the rest of John’s article.

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photo credit: Paella should be a great Birthday Dinner, isn't it? via photopin (license) cropped

How (and How Not) to Think about the Trinity

 

In his book Delighting in the Trinity, Michael Reeves writes, “The Trinity is the governing center of all Christian belief, the truth that shapes and beautifies all others. The Trinity is the cockpit of all Christian thinking.”

As such, it’s a doctrine well worth contemplating, even if we can’t fully understand it. (It’s very possible to say “huh?” to the mysterious mathematics of the Trinity, yet appreciate its inexplicable wonders!)

In this video, EPM’s Julia Stager does a great job talking about some trinitarian heresies, including modalism, partialism and subordinationism, and also explains what the Bible actually affirms about the Trinity. Here’s a lot of good theology in 3.5 minutes:

If you’d like to watch more of Julia’s videos, you can subscribe to her YouTube channel: Crossover.

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Counter Culture by David Platt

David Platt’s new book Counter Culture: A Compassionate Call to Counter Culture in a World of Poverty, Same-Sex Marriage, Racism, Sex Slavery, Immigration, Abortion, Persecution, Orphans and Pornography was released this week. David Burnett says it’s “a call for Christians to respond to many of the critical social issues of our day with gospel compassion, conviction, and courage.”

David Platt writes, “On popular issues like poverty and slavery, where Christians are likely to be applauded for our social action, we are quick to stand up and speak out. Yet on controversial issues like homosexuality and abortion, where Christians are likely to be criticized for our involvement, we are content to sit down and stay quiet.”

Here’s more about the book:

Ask a group of Christians what they think about poverty, sex trafficking, or the orphan crisis, and you’ll probably get a pretty quick response. But ask that same group about gay marriage or abortion, and you’ll most likely be faced with a lot of nervous hesitancy or fuzzy answers. In this day when social issues are creating clear dividing lines in society, moral or political neutrality is no longer an option for those who believe the gospel. It’s simply not enough to focus on only those issues that are most comfortable—and least costly—to us.

But what if the main issue is not poverty or homosexuality or abortion? What if the main issue is God? What if the same God who moves us to war against sex trafficking also moves us to war against sexual immorality? What if the same gospel that compels us to combat poverty also compels us to defend traditional marriage? What if all of these cultural hot-button issues are all connected to our understanding of who God is and how he relates to everything around us? Join David Platt as he invites us to fix our gaze on the holiness, love, goodness, truth, justice, authority, and mercy of God revealed in the gospel and to walk boldly right into the middle of today’s culture wars.

I’m grateful for David Platt and voices like his, who are calling the church to be faithful to God’s Word and extend both the grace and truth of Jesus in the midst of an increasingly hostile culture.

True Christians do not mindlessly parrot whatever society happens to be saying (or what their own favorite group prefers). They go back to the Scriptures to see what God says, and they believe it even when it’s unpopular. They realize that one day they’ll stand before Christ, the Judge of All, and in that day God’s position on these issues will be the standard by which all others are judged.

Martin Luther King, Jr., like many leaders, had his flaws. Yet he saw social evils with unusual insight and faced them with uncommon courage. He said, “Cowardice asks the question: is it safe? Expediency asks the question: is it politic? Vanity asks the question: is it popular? But conscience asks the question: is it right? And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular—but one must take it simply because it is right.”

The Bible commands us to do what is right not only when convenient, but when costly.

God has called us to be His children and ambassadors, not His speech writers or PR team attempting to airbrush His image so His polling will go up. We’ve become accustomed to pleasing ourselves, and pleasing others, whether that’s our culture or our Christian subculture. But Scripture teaches we should seek to please God, the Audience of One. We should live for His applause, His “Well done,” not for the approval of others.

If we fail to speak the truth in love—either by not speaking the truth or not doing it in love—we fail to represent God (Ephesians 4:15). If we choose between grace and truth we misrepresent Jesus, who is full of both grace and truth (John 1:14).

How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God? —Jesus, John 5:44

For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ. —Paul, Galatians 1:10

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Perspectives That Are All the More Significant When You Lose

I wrote this on Facebook Sunday night, but I thought it appropriate to share today.

“Whoever trusts in the LORD, happy is he” (Proverbs 16:20). 

This is why I can be happy in Jesus tonight even though my favorite team lost the Super Bowl in the final moments. :) I mean this with all my heart. He remains sovereign and loving and purposeful even when in minor things (like the Super Bowl) or in major ones, He has designs other than the ones I wished for—according to "the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will" (Ephesians 1:11). One day we’ll see in retrospect that He has worked all things together—among the least of them being sports outcomes—for our good (Romans 8:28). May God give us the grace to believe today what we’ll one day know to have been true all along. Not just in the small things, but in the things in our lives far bigger than a Super Bowl. :) (That's me and Nanci, along with our daughter Angela and her family and her father-in-law and our friend John Stump, in the photo, which appeared on the front page of the Gresham Outlook newspaper before the game. Especially fun to see our grandsons Jake and Ty interviewed and then quoted in the article!)

Disappointment is human and understandable, and I don’t minimize it, but I want to maximize the “good news of great joy” in Jesus Christ. That’s not limited to fans of one of 32 teams, or to one person in three, but is always available not only to the whole world, but to each of us who know Jesus, since we all need a daily and hourly infusion of His supernatural grace.

I encourage you to watch the following video featuring some Christ-followers I really appreciate, some of whom I know personally. If the men in this video had won the Super Bowl, as they did last year, I think their words might be taken as health and wealth gospel—“We’ve won the big game, so you should listen to us.” No, they LOST the big game on Sunday, but what they share remains 100% true. We usually feel the need for God more when we deal with our losses than when we celebrate our gains. Therefore what they have to say is if anything more significant, not less.

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photo credit: Troy Wayrynen for the Gresham Outlook

Some Thoughts for Those Who Are Considering Divorce

I do not stand in judgment of those who’ve been divorced, and I know many people whose divorces were either outside their control, or were made necessary by continued abuse and unfaithfulness. This is NOT an attack piece on the divorced. It is written for the many believers who may be considering a divorce too soon because it is a cultural norm. Please don’t feel judged, but this is to help some people even though it may be of no help to you.

1.  Trust the Lord, don’t trust yourself. Relationships can cause hurt, and hurt people find it hard to think straight. God knows all, sees all, and works everything together for your good. Trust in the Lord and what He says in his Word.

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son.” (Romans 8:28-29)

2. Realize that the answer to suffering is not always to move away from it. God sometimes calls us to follow Him by walking into or remaining under suffering.

“Then Jesus said to them all: ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.’” (Luke 9:23)

“Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. …If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.” (1 Peter 4:12-16)

3.  Contemplate that God is accomplishing a purpose in your sufferings.

“Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” (Romans 5:3-4)

“Our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” (Romans 8:18)

“For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” (2 Corinthians 4:17)

4.  Wait on the Lord. Don’t act hastily. Keep doors open. Only close the doors that you are certain God says you should close.

“Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.” (Psalm 27:14)

“Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary,    and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (Isaiah 40:28-31)

5. Don’t just trust that God can change someone else’s heart. Trust that He can change and renew your heart. 

“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.” (Ezekiel 36:26)

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.” (2 Corinthians 4:16)

6.  Meditate on Scripture related to the issue of marriage, separation and divorce.

Jesus: “It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery.” (Matthew 5:31-32)

“Some Pharisees came to him to test Jesus. They asked, ‘Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?’ ‘Haven’t you read,’ he replied, ‘that at the beginning the Creator “made them male and female,” and said, “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh”? So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.’ ‘Why then,’ they asked, ‘did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?’ Jesus replied, ‘Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery.’” (Matthew 19:3-9)

Jesus: “But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female.’ ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.” (Mark 10:6-9)

“Jesus answered, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her. And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery.’” (Mark 10:11-12)

Jesus: “Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.” (Luke 16:18)

“...by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law of marriage. So then, if she marries another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is released from that law and is not an adulteress, even though she marries another man.” (Romans 7:2-3)

“A wife must not separate from her husband. But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife. …If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. And if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him ... [15-16] But if the unbeliever leaves, let him do so. A believing man or woman is not bound in such circumstances; God has called us to live in peace. How do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or, how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?.... [27] Are you married? Do not seek a divorce. Are you unmarried? Do not look for a wife ... [39] A woman is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but he must belong to the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 7:10-13, 15-16, 27, 39)

“‘I hate divorce,’ says the LORD God of Israel.” (Malachi 2:16)

7.  Whatever actions you consider taking, ask whether you can take that action for the glory of God.

“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31)

Can you be separated but not pursue a divorce, wait on the Lord, and remain open to the possibility of reconciliation, and do this to the glory of God?

Can you pursue a divorce to the glory of God?

8. Whatever actions you consider taking, ask whether you can take that action in the name of the Lord Jesus. 

“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Colossians 3:17)

Can you be separated but not pursue a divorce, wait on the Lord and remain open to the possibility of reconciliation, and do this in the name of the Lord Jesus?

Can you pursue a divorce in the name of the Lord Jesus?

9. Whatever action you take, ask yourself if you can take it in keeping with a renewed and transformed mind, and not in conformity to the pattern of the world. 

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:1-2)

Can you be separated but not pursue a divorce, wait on the Lord and do so with a renewed and transformed mind, acting not in conformity to the world’s pattern?

Can you pursue a divorce with a renewed and transformed mind, acting not in conformity to the world’s pattern?

10. Whatever action you take, ask yourself if you can take it in keeping with the grace and truth of Jesus. 

“For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” (John 1:17)

Can you be separated but not pursue a divorce, wait on the Lord and remain open to the possibility of reconciliation, and do so in keeping with the grace and truth of Jesus?

Can you pursue a divorce and do so in keeping with the grace and truth of Jesus?

11. Whatever action you consider, ask yourself if it can be done while bearing the fruit of God’s Spirit. 

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”  (Galatians 5:22-25)

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The Misery of Many Lottery Winners: Proof Money Can’t Buy Happiness

While many people may believe the statement “money can’t buy happiness,” nearly everyone would like to put that theory to test! People will almost always believe wholeheartedly that they would become immensely happy if only they had more money.

As I write this, 130,000 Powerball tickets are being sold each minute. And though they know their chances of winning are remote, gamblers stake their hopes on them. Yet the track record of happiness for lottery winners is shocking.

After a group of co-workers won $450 million in 2013, Willie Seeley took the microphone at a press conference. Beaming, he said, “We are very happy, happy, happy.” He and his wife appeared on NBC’s TODAY show, where he said he was going to fish, hunt and do as he pleased.

When I saw the video six months after it happened, I thought, “I wonder how long that lasted?” I’d read too many stories to believe the happiness would hold.

After only two months Willie and his wife were already full of regrets. He said, “There are days I wish we were back to just getting paid every two weeks. You have to change your whole way of life, but we didn’t want to change the way we lived.”

His wife Donna called their winnings “the curse.” Feeling sorry for the new winner of a $400 million lottery, Willie said, “He doesn’t understand…The drama is nonstop.”

I realize people’s experiences differ. But it is fair to say that over the long-haul, people’s personal happiness is rarely raised by winning the lottery:

Charles Riddle won a big early lottery in 1975. After getting divorced quickly and facing several lawsuits, he was arrested for selling cocaine.

William “Bud” Post won $16.2 million in 1988. He was sued by a former girlfriend who wanted the money, and his brother hired a hit man, hoping to murder him and inherit it. He was $1 million in debt in a year and later went to jail for shooting a gun over a bill collector’s head. Post called winning the money a “nightmare.” He died in 2006 after declaring bankruptcy.

Jeffrey Dampier won $20 million in 1996. Dampier bought homes for relatives. Several years later, a sister-in-law and her boyfriend kidnapped and murdered him for the money.

John McGuiness won £10 million in 1997. He bought luxury cars and went on vacations, then lost all his money, went back to work and applied for subsidized housing. McGuiness commented, “I just want my life to get back to the way it was before.”

Billie Bob Harrell, Jr. won $31 million in 1997. Harrell used the money to purchase a ranch, homes and cars for himself and family members. His spending and lending spiraled out of control. Harrell divorced, and just 20 months after winning the money, he committed suicide using a shotgun.

Victoria Zell won $11 million in 2001. Zell landed in prison after a drug- and alcohol-induced collision that paralyzed one person and killed another.

Jack Whittaker won $315 million in 2002. After winning, his life involved arrests, shattered relationships, lawsuits, and the death of loved ones. Whittaker later said he wished he had “torn up the ticket.”

Callie Rogers won $3 million in 2003. Sixteen-year-old Rogers spent the money on fancy cars, gifts, lavish vacations, and plastic surgery. An ex-boyfriend got her hooked on cocaine, a habit she spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on, and she attempted suicide twice.

Keith Gough won £9 million in 2005. He bought racehorses, divorced his wife, was conned by a girlfriend, became an alcoholic, developed cirrhosis of the liver and died in 2010. He told a newspaper before his death, “My life was brilliant but the Lottery ruined everything. …What’s the point of having money when it sends you to bed crying?”

Abraham Shakespeare won $31 million in 2006. Shakespeare went missing in 2009 after spending most of the money. A few months later, his body was found under a slab of concrete.

To put perspective on these stories, we should realize that many people dream of winning the lottery because they feel certain it would bring them lasting happiness. As long as they don’t win, hope remains. But once they do win and still don’t find happiness, their hope is gone. 

As a bumper sticker says, “The lottery is a tax on people who are bad at math.” The chances are greater of being struck by lightning than of winning a multimillion-dollar lottery. But even if someone ends up winning, the gambler has violated God’s means of provision. It’s hard and wise labor that brings financial profit (Proverbs 14:23). Even then, reality is that money and material possessions can never satisfy the deepest longings of our hearts.

God is jealous of our affections, demanding that He alone be the focus of our worship (Exodus 20:3-5). Scripture tells us to put our hope in God (Psalm 42:5, 11). God tells us to work for a living, not play the odds and seek shortcuts to wealth (Proverbs 28:19-20). God is sufficient to supply all our needs (Philippians 4:19). Scripture warns us against covetousness (Deuteronomy 5:21) and calls us to contentment (Philippians 4:11-12).

May we remember that ultimate satisfaction can only be found in God, the gracious giver of all good things. We were made for Him and we will never be satisfied with less.

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