In 1992 Barenaked Ladies released a song called “If I Had a Million Dollars.” I love that song, mostly because of the ridiculous things they say they’d buy with it. But any time I hear the song, it gets me thinking about what I would do if I, somehow ended up with a million dollars.
Now the cynic would very quickly point out that Uncle Sam would demand his fair share, which according to just some quick digging, I found could be up to 37 percent, which would then leave me with a mere $630,000. But so what. That’s still $630,000 more than I had before! Plus, being a Christian who loves my church I would tithe off the pre-tax amount, so now I have about $530,000. Now I’m guessing I could deduct some of that charitable giving from my taxes so I would end up with…um… Boy, this “mathing” is making my head hurt. I need to lay down.
I’m back, refreshed and ready to go. Let’s just say, after all the preliminary expenditures, I still clear $500,000 all to myself. Then what would I do? Below are five things I’d do if I had a million dollars…or $500,000, whatever. I would…
1. Quit Worrying!
I’m loaded now so I don’t need to worry about things, right? Again the cynic would interject, “Mo Money Mo Problems!” And they’d be right to a degree. But worrying about my problems won’t make them go away, now will they? NOPE! So I’ll stop worrying because worrying won’t add a day to my life or a dollar to my wallet.
Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? And if worry can’t accomplish a little thing like that, what’s the use of worrying over bigger things?
Jesus – Luke 12:25-26 (NLT)
2. Be Generous!
A million dollars is much more than I need to get by, so I’d give a lot away to people who need it and to worthwhile causes. I would give a lot to my church because I love my church and how much it helps people. Plus being generous will actually make me wealthier!
If you help the poor, you are lending to the Lord— and he will repay you!
Proverbs 19:17 (NLT)
Sounds like an investment option I can get behind.
3. Focus on What’s Important!
In a word: Simplify! I don’t think I would accumulate lots of stuff, because that just breeds more headaches. I have more money, so I buy more stuff that will require more money PLUS time PLUS effort to maintain, fuel and protect. No thanks.
So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content.
The Apostle Paul – 1 Timothy 6:8
I would probably scale down my life so I can enjoy the few things that are most important to me. I’d pay off the house I live in, then give it to my son. I would upgrade my vehicle to a nice pickup because I can’t imagine pulling my tiny house with my Scion XD. (If you’ve read Kim’s and my “Getting to Know You” blogs you’d know our dreams are to move into a tiny house and travel the world!)
4. Treasure Each Day
The world we live in is A-MAZ-ING, but sometimes I think we forget that, or worse yet complain about it. Have you ever given someone a gift and their reaction is less than you had hoped? You’re thinking, I worked really hard on this gift and you didn’t even pretend to like it!!! Think about this. Each day is a gift from God, so why in the world would we treat it any less than that!
This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.
Psalm 118:24
Think about this verse. It was written long before flushable toilets, air conditioning, cars, Netflix, or our beloved iPhones ever existed. Creature comforts weren’t a thing in “Bible Days,” yet there were still reasons to celebrate the dawning of each day. So, yeah, I’d treasure each day more than my swollen bank account.
5. Show Gratitude
Just to clarify, showing gratitude is different than being thankful. Being thankful is passive. Nothing wrong with it, but it’s not as active nor powerful as showing gratitude.
I remember Christmas as a kid, when we’d visit extended family. We’d all gather around and receive gifts from grandparents, aunts, uncles, and other extended family. When the appointed time came I’d tear open a gift, mentally evaluate its worth and then attempt to move on to the next one. But before I could open another gift my mom would prompt me with, “What do you tell your Uncle Donnie?” To which I’d reply with a sheepish, “Thanks Uncle Donnie,” then tear into another gift.
Not once did my mom prompt me with, “Now little Caleb, how do you feel?” Why? Was she not concerned with how I felt about my gift? I’m sure she was, but she was more concerned that I let my Uncle Donnie know how thankful I was. Being thankful is great, but vocalizing thanks whether to God or others takes gratitude to a whole new level.
Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
The Apostle Paul – 1 Thessalonians 5:18
So there you have it. Five things I’d do if I had a million dollars!
Wait Just a Minute!
I know you’re a smart reader. Probably by Number 2 or 3 you were picking up on the subtle hints I was dropping. This blog has very little to do with spending a cool mill. It’s all about mindsets we should have whether we have millions or just a few bucks. And though I currently don’t have millions I DO have a great fortune when I quit worrying, practice generosity, focus on what’s important, treasure each day and show gratitude.
Ok for reals, though…
TBH, if I did have a large sum of money there are a few things I’d spend it on. Here are my top five…
- Home repairs…I would fix it up and make sure it’s livable so our son has a place to stay while Kim and I…
- Travel around the world…probably by jet if possible
- Buy a pickup truck so that I can pull my…
- Tiny House. And…
- A Fur Coat…but not a real fur coat that’s cruel.
Oh, and I’d get Kim something really nice.
Blessings!