What are you willing to do for $10,000,000? This was a question asked in a poll back in 1991. The people were given several options and then instructed to indicate all that they would be willing to do.
Here were the results:
25% - Would abandon their entire family.
25% - Would abandon their church.
23% - Would become prostitutes for a week or more.
16% - Would give up their American citizenships.
16% - Would leave their spouses.
10% - Would withhold testimony and let a murderer go free.
7% - Would kill a stranger.
3% - Would put their children up for adoption. This poll revealed that two-thirds (66%) agreed to at least one of these, and some to several (James Patterson and Peter Kim, The Day America Told the Truth, 1991). With the exception of "giving up American citizenship," every single one of these is wrong. This poll gives us a very cold look at people's hearts.
This is exactly what Paul was trying to warn people about in 1 Timothy 6:10, "For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs."
I tried to tell myself that this mostly applies to non-Christians, but I think we all know better. Christian people are influenced by money just as much as everyone else. So we must ask again, what are you willing to do for $10,000,000? Are any sins on that list? If so, I hope we will take a closer look at our lives and our hearts. Are they really in the right place?
Jesus said, "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Matthew 16:26).
There is no amount of money, no reward, and no sin that is worth giving up heaven for.
- via The Contender, the weekly bulletin published by the Walnut Grove Church of Christ in Benton, KY. Kevin Williams preaches for the congregation. He may be contacted through the church's website: http://walnutgrovechurchofchrist.org/
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