Adversity and Prosperity

Adversity and Prosperity

Let's face facts. Unanticipated pressures are exerted on all of us by everyday events and people; it's what life does to us all. Adversity is what we allow those pressures to do to ourselves. Prosperity may or may not pose a similar challenge. Question: If you were to inherit one billion dollars from an anonymous source with no strings attached, in what ways would this windfall impact you and your spiritual life?

Originally posted by Grampy Bobby
[b]Adversity and Prosperity

Let's face facts. Unanticipated pressures are exerted on all of us by everyday events and people; it's what life does to us all. Adversity is what we allow those pressures to do to ourselves. Prosperity may or may not pose a similar challenge. Question: If you were to inherit one billion dollars from an anonymous source with no strings attached, in what ways would this windfall impact you and your spiritual life?[/b]

It would definitely have a positive impact on my life.

Originally posted by divegeester
It would definitely have a positive impact on my life.

No impact. Why?

Originally posted by Grampy Bobby
Question: If you were to inherit one billion dollars from an anonymous source with no strings attached, in what ways would this windfall impact you and your spiritual life?

I cannot see how it would necessarily have any impact on my spiritual life, other than me being able to invest some of the money in endeavours whose estimated virtue and efficacy were informed by my spiritual and moral beliefs and by my understanding of the human spirit and human condition.

So the windfall would perhaps impact how my spiritual life manifests itself in action but, aside from the unknown and unforeseeable spiritual impacts of encounters with other people during the activities funded by the "one billion dollars", I don't see how the money - in and of itself - would affect my spiritual life - in and of itself.

Originally posted by Grampy Bobby
[b]Adversity and Prosperity

Let's face facts. Unanticipated pressures are exerted on all of us by everyday events and people; it's what life does to us all. Adversity is what we allow those pressures to do to ourselves. Prosperity may or may not pose a similar challenge. Question: If you were to inherit one billion dollars from an anonymous source with no strings attached, in what ways would this windfall impact you and your spiritual life?[/b]

I would pay off quite a bit of peoples houses.

Originally posted by RBHILL
I would pay off quite a bit of peoples houses.

In what way are other people's not-yet-paid-for houses a part of your spiritual life?

Originally posted by Rajk999
No impact. Why?

Wut? I said it would have a positive impact.

Originally posted by Grampy Bobby
in what ways would this windfall impact you and your spiritual life?

Please define 'spiritual life'.

As for the impact on me, obviously it would be enormous. I would probably only be able to spend a tiny fraction of it on myself, and I would keep some for my descendants, but the majority of it would probably be spent on either charitable projects or research projects that I am interested in. I am a big believer in education, so the charitable projects would almost certain include education projects. Of course if it actually happened things may be quite different. It is the sort of thing where it is really hard to accurately predict what I would do.

Originally posted by Grampy Bobby
[b]Adversity and Prosperity

Let's face facts. Unanticipated pressures are exerted on all of us by everyday events and people; it's what life does to us all. Adversity is what we allow those pressures to do to ourselves. Prosperity may or may not pose a similar challenge. Question: If you were to inherit one billion dollars from an anonymous source with no strings attached, in what ways would this windfall impact you and your spiritual life?[/b]

The danger for the Christian would be that he may become materialistic, his values being determined by what he owned·or did not own as the case may be. I suspect it may be difficult to keep ones balance when suddenly thrust into a position of having a great amount of money. The Bible of course cautions Christians not simply to avoid the persuit of riches, but to flee from that course.

For the love of money is a root of all sorts of injurious things, and by reaching out for this love some have been led astray from the faith and have stabbed themselves all over with many pains. However, you, O man of God, flee from these things.

So it could bring pressure to such an extent that a person may become so self consumed as to leave the faith.

Originally posted by robbie carrobie
The Bible of course cautions Christians not simply to avoid the persuit of riches, but to flee from that course.

With almost 1 in 10 American Jehovah's Witnesses earning US$ 100,000 or more a year, do you feel that those particular Christians have flown quite hard enough from the course of pursuing riches? 😉

Originally posted by Grampy Bobby
[b]Adversity and Prosperity

Let's face facts. Unanticipated pressures are exerted on all of us by everyday events and people; it's what life does to us all. Adversity is what we allow those pressures to do to ourselves. Prosperity may or may not pose a similar challenge. Question: If you were to inherit one billion dollars from an anonymous source with no strings attached, in what ways would this windfall impact you and your spiritual life?[/b]

More valuable to God than the amount of money you can give is that He can gain your heart.

The woman that Jesus say put in a small amount of money in an offering box, He said was more than to God than the vastly larger amounts given by the well off.

" And He looked up and saw the rich casting their gifts into the treasury. And He saw a certain impoverished widow casting there two lepta.

And He said, Truly I tell you that this poor widow has cast in more than all of them, For all these out of their surplus have cast in something into the gifts, but she out of her lack has cast in all the living that she had." (Luke 21:1-4)

In faith that God would provide for her, she put in her living, all that she had. It was more precious to God than the manifold more wealth put in by the rich whose hearts were far from Him.

The inspiration of this story has touched so many believers down through the centuries. I would not be surprised that one day God points out to her that because of her faith and because it inspired so many believers, all that was given by trusting Christians afterward will be attributed to her. It will all go to her account.

The two lepta of her living may amount to two trillion dollars from the Christians down through the years touched by the dedication of her life to God.

What a revolution it was to my whole being to realize God was saying in essence - "I don't want what you can do or what you can give. I want YOU ."

Originally posted by divegeester
Wut? I said it would have a positive impact.

Positive impact your life in general if the money is used wisely.
However the question was about your spiritual life .. I think the answer for a Christian should be no impact.

Originally posted by Rajk999
Positive impact your life in general if the money is used wisely.
However the question was about your spiritual life .. I think the answer for a Christian should be no impact.

Actually there were two questions.
And what is 'spiritual life'?

This is what a Russian billionaire has planned:
http://mybroadband.co.za/news/gadgets/129114-the-billionaires-super-yacht-with-hovering-jet-plane.html

Originally posted by twhitehead
Actually there were two questions.
And what is 'spiritual life'?

Actually you asked the second question not GB in the opening post.

My version of what is spiritual life would be my life in Christ which for me is following the commandments of Christ. For me money has no impact on that.