That was the headline of the newspaper story: "Big Winners." It was true, they were big winners. The prize was 13.9 million Canadian dollars, making Stuart and Lillian Kelly instant millionaires.
Now they had all the money they could spend, just for the price of a $1.00 lottery ticket! But what about all the losers, all those others who bought tickets and didn't win? There were 67.5 million tickets sold (equal to about 21/2 tickets for every living Canadian) but only one grand prize. One winner-and millions of losers. Not very good odds, surely!
Of course, it was only a small loss in the hope of a big gain, but what about the many, many people who are risking great loss, an immeasurable loss, for a, very small gain? What about the people who are gambling with their souls? Can you measure eternal loss with any short-lived pleasure or gain now? The Bible puts it plainly: "What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" Mark 8:36.
If you have not yet settled the question of your soul's eternal destiny, if you have not made sure that you will not "lose your own soul," then every time you lie down at night you are gambling—yes, gambling—that sickness will not strike in the night and that you will awake in the morning. Every time you get up in the morning you are gambling that you will meet no accident that day. Every time you say to yourself, "I am going to accept the Lord Jesus and make sure of my soul's salvation, but after the next party—when school is out—when I am older—or richer—or wiser..." you are gambling your eternal salvation for a few minutes of time.
The Apostle Paul saw things in the right perspective when he said, "I have suffered the loss of all things... that I may win Christ." Phil. 3:8. Nothing in this world can compare with that!
"To lose your wealth is much;
To lose your health is more;
To lose your soul is such a loss
As nothing can restore."