Do You Want to Bet on It?

In the last week, people all over the country have stood in line at convenience stores and gas stations to purchase a lottery ticket for their chance at becoming King Midas-rich.  The lure of a billion-dollar prize is apparently too great to pass up.  No, I did not buy a ticket.  Why not? 

Blame it on Blaise.  Who you ask?  Few of us remember the name of Blaise Pascal from our days in either math or science class.  Pascal was one of those over-achieving over-thinkers who paved the way for both modern science and mathematics.  Like most of the great thinkers in history, Pascal also dabbled in religion and philosophy, which prompted him to derive what he considered a reasonable, logical, approach to living life – “Pascal’s Wager”.

The Wager was his probability-based argument to mankind that since God either exists or He doesn’t, we are all betting our lives on whichever reality is true.  So, he reasoned, why not bet your finite life, behavior, and wealth on the premise that God DOES exist in the hope that you will gain an infinite eternity in God’s presence if you are correct?  Pascal was trying to encourage others to live unselfishly to gain eternity with God.  Though his encouragement to good deeds and sacrifice won’t get anyone to heaven without faith in Jesus, at least he was betting on something that was worthwhile!

But real truth about how we should spend our lives comes from the Author of salvation, Jesus:

Don’t collect for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But collect for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves don’t break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.  Matthew 6:19-21

If putting our earthly “treasures” to better use than our own selfish wealth accumulation doesn’t get us any closer to heaven, then why does Jesus admonish us to do so?  Because in Jesus’ view of things, our accumulation of whatever can waste or rust away is short-sighted.  He isn’t just saying to take all the money and possessions you have and somehow “invest” them in heavenly things.  I believe Jesus’ Admonition is all about PERSPECTIVE.  Instead of working more and more hours to make more and more money to buy more and more stuff in the here-and-now, why not understand what James wrote to us?

You don’t even know what tomorrow will bring—what your life will be! For you are like smoke that appears for a little while, then vanishes.  James 4:14

James wasn’t trying to discourage us, but instead trying to drive the truth home that this life is such a little part of the whole of our existence.  We need to remember that in Christ, we are eternal and so it makes lots of sense for us to spend our days “working” with an eternal perspective.  How do we do that?  By remembering that the greatest treasure we have is our knowledge of the Gospel – the promise of God to everyone who might believe in Jesus.  So, we “work” to live lives that honor the sacrifice Jesus made for us; we share the Truth we know with those who need to hear it; and we find a way to love the people God puts in our path while we walk this earth so they will know God loves them, too.  That all adds up to heavenly dividends!

Pascal’s Wager might seem like a good bet, but Jesus’ Words can change your life.  For eternity.  That’s what I’m betting on!

Jacob