Playing Powerball Lottery (or not)

Well, I didn't win the 1.6 billion dollar powerball lottery last night.

Not too surprising, since I didn't buy a ticket.

As I see it, I had a great deal more to lose than I had to gain from entering the lottery. Even if I had won 1.6 billion dollars I would have lost something of infinite value.

God has blessed me with great blessings. My wife and I have been able to purchase our own home. Our combined income is not huge, but it supplies our daily bread. Every week I can sit down and pay our bills. We can buy modest items we desire. We have enough left over to give generously to our church and to help out some people in their various needs.

But it is not so much about what we can afford to buy or do. It is about our sense of gratitude and contentment in God's daily provision. 

Sometimes our cash flow is tight. There are many things we cannot afford to buy. There are things we cannot afford to do. But we are ok with that. We are genuinely content. We have a general sense of peace and wellbeing. We have what we need. We are secure in God's gracious care for us.

There is no better place for us to be. Contentment is the goal and we are already there.

As I spent time in prayer the other morning I was thanking God for all his blessings when it occurred to me that I could buy a lottery ticket. But as I thought about it I realized that I could not enjoy this great sense of contentment and pursue windfall riches through a lottery (or any form of gambling) at the same time. That pursuit of riches is contrary to a sense of contentment. If you are content, you don't need to play. If you play, you will be damaging your sense of contentment.

So I didn't play and I didn't win - and I'm not a bit sorry. I am perfectly happy throwing myself into God's arms every morning and asking him to provide my daily bread. This is where I want to be.