At church this morning, the pastor preached against greed. Our text
was the parable of that one guy in Luke 12:15-21 who wanted to tear down
his barns to build bigger barns, as he would kick back and relax with
his wealth.
I was thinking about this topic
in my daily quiet time. I finished I Chronicles this morning and, near
the end of the book, David donates some of his own wealth to the
construction of the temple (which would occur under Solomon). I thought
about what I would do with my money if I won the lottery. Well, I
would first pay off my student loans, but what then? I'd be tempted to
kick back and relax for the rest of my life: no worries! No financial
insecurity! I wouldn't even chase after luxuries. My needs and wants
are simple.
Would I give to charity?
Well, I'd hope that I'd give some money to charities that feed the
poor. I'd probably divide the money up among different charities, for
I'm not sure how a single charity would handle a large sum of money. I
hope that I would do what the pastor said at the end of the service: not
be judgmental of the poor, but willing to help.
But
what's that have to do with me now, since I have not won the lottery?
Well, I notice my desire for security. But I also see within myself a
recognition of the need to give, as well as the need to counter any
tendencies within myself that may make me less than compassionate.