How to Win the Lottery

Is life a gamble? See, I'm an accountant, and I've been running some numbers in my head. I think it kind of is. Not in the typical gambling way or anything, but, yes, a gamble. Let me explain:

I've been driving around listening to the radio. One day I was listening to a song about living life. You know the type of song, "I'm not going to live forever, so I'm goind to do whatever I want to do right now!" And it is implied that "whatever I want" is - well, whatever! Drugs, sex, spending money like it's going out of style...

Now, I switched over to the Christian radio station, and they had the same song on! Only instead, it went, "I'm not going to live forever, so I'm going to love people and help people and draw close to God." I'm not going to lie - I feel this is a more appropriate interpretation of life. But let's run the numbers.

Let's say you choose song #1. You do whatever you want. Will this make you happy? I don't know - I suppose there are a few multi-millionaires out there who take the "live for today" approach and enjoy it. But for the average person - and even the average multi-millionaire - it's just not going to work. You will be lonely. You will be a mess - drugs and alchohol will require increasingly stronger doeses to make you happy. And who knows what "free love" will get you - kids you aren't prepared to take care of? Disease? Or just a plain old broken heart? The prognosis doesn't look good.

Add to that the Christian concept summarized in the TobyMac song, "I don't want to gain the whole world and lose my soul!" Even if you are one of the select few who can live an entirely self-centered life and be happy still, will you gain heaven? Or will you spend 70-100 happy years on earth only to spend eternity in a much less happy place.

We have to remember that what we experience here is not the best of all possible worlds. There is hope for something better, and that to waste our life for temporary gain is, well...foolish.

So then there's song #2. According to those who live by Song #1, the Song #2 livers are missing out on a lot of fun. They are probably not as rich - and if they are, they spend a lot of money helping people. Their fun is innocent. They always seem to be putting off pleasure because it's "wrong" (not participating in drugs or sex outside of marriage).

But does it pay off? In my life I see a lot of Song #2 working well - I mean, people who settle down and live a good life (even if they are not specifically Christians, but want to be good people) tend to do well. They have families who love them. They are not short on money (not having pawned their last possession for a new high). They don't get unwanted diseases.

But then, there are those who follow Song #2 and still have rotten lives. I mean, just because you are a good person and try to help people, just because you are a Christian, does not guarantee you a life of bliss. All you can do is do the best with what you have and live strong in your faith and hope that you will go to a better place in 70-100 years.

This is why it is a gamble. I think statistically Song #2 pays off - you have a chance of being happy in this world and the next!

And yet, faith seems to be a gamble for some people anyway. If you live by Song #1 - whether you are happy or not - and someone tells you to change your life because you may not go to heaven? What kind of argument is that? Isn't it just easier to believe that there is no God and continue on in your ways? And if you do believe, won't that just turn you off? People forget about forgiveness and redemption.

But to talk about the faith gamble is in essence to determine how to win at the gamble of life.

If there is no God, then the way to win the life lottery is to be one of the truly happy Song #1-ers. You can be a fairly happy Song #2-er. But like anything, it's all about risk and reward - you can lead a stable life or risk everything on the chance that you might be happy following Song #1. It doesn't matter which song you follow in the long run, though - just pick a song to follow because you only have 70-100 years.

But if there is a God, then Song #2 is definately the key to winning the lottery. And unlike Song #1, everyone who sings song #2 wins! Suddenly the risk is gone! You may be a little unhappy in this life, but you will be happy in eternity.

So what's the lesson? Well, after running the numbers (I know I'm a little biased) I think that Song #2 is the best way to live - both if you consider God or pretend He doesn't exist. So the question then becomes, why do so many people live Song #1? Why isn't the world a better place if the smart thing to do is to love each other, love God, and help each other out?

Other than the cliche, "Sin" answer, I can't tell you. Perhaps it is because life is such a gamble. Perhaps there are so many Song #1 people out there trying to actually be happy, that being a Song #2 person becomes harder and harder to do.

And yet, I speak of the lottery. I truly don't know of anyone who has been able to lead a completely selfish life and still be happy. I honestly don't know if it has happened - I just spoke of it because I thought statistically it might have. You don't really find any religion in the world that speaks of gaining inner peace through selfish acts. There is wisdom in that!

If everyone just lived out the faith they did beleive, and if people stopped trying to squash each other in pursuit of winning Life's Lottery, then the world would be a better place. Living Song #2 wouldn't seem like sacrificing anything at all, because in loving one another, the whole world could be gained! And people could find peace and happiness both in this life and the life to come.