Whether you are a fan of the game show “Jeopardy!” or not, you are likely aware of the remarkable run that Las Vegas sports gambler James Holzhauer enjoyed since April. His risk-taking, rapid-fire answers cemented his advantage over nearly every other player that faced off with him in the last thirty-three weeks. He was on pace to match, and then to break, the record of Ken Jennings, the highest earning player of all time, but Monday night Holzhauer was knocked off his pedestal by a librarian from Chicago named Emma Boettcher. He ended his streak with a staggering $2,487,015, just $58,484 shy of Jennings record.
Not a bad paycheck for two months’ work.
So, for Christians, what is the takeaway from this? It would be easy to fall into the same trap that most of the world will stumble into, that is, that Holzhauer struck gold because he is a gambler.
And then it happens. We think, Wouldn’t it be great if we could win that that kind of money? So we are tempted to gamble—buy a lotto ticket, go online and place a bet or two—telling ourselves that we’ll tithe from the proceeds and that’ll make it all okay.
To do that would be to miss the point altogether and to draw from Holzhauer’s winning streak the same conclusion that unbelievers do. That is, a validation of gambling that simply doesn’t exist. Because, believe it or not, Holzhauer did not win at “Jeopardy!” because he was a gambler. He won because he simply applied the same time-honored principles for success that God has woven into creation.
Jesus said the rain falls on everyone, believers and unbelievers alike. Everyone who cooperates with God’s creation benefits from it (Matt. 5:45).
So as the lights are dimmed and the studio closes on Holzhauer’s remarkable run, let’s draw the insights we really should get from this.
- Be willing to work. Work produces results. Holzhauer did not just show up and win. He had been playing Jeopardy from his living room since he was a child. He practiced constantly at home, even using a mechanical pencil as a clicker. God designed us to produce results through work, not chance (Prov. 14:23).
- Be wise with your money. Sure, Holzhauer took risks. But keep in mind, he was not gambling with his own money. He was quite literally gambling with someone else’s money. He came in with nothing, so he risked nothing of his own going out. God calls us to be stewards, not gamblers. Luck is not a thing that takes action for us. To trust luck is always the opposite of trusting God (Prov. 13:11, Luke 12:15, 1 Cor. 4:2, 1 Tim. 6:10).
- Be confident in faith. Nothing great is ever achieved without stepping out and trusting God. The world calls it “risk.” But when invested in God, it’s faith. If we are unwilling to step out and trust Him in the unknown, it’s unlikely that we will ever achieve anything. Maybe it’s that hobby that you want to transition into a profession, that person that you want to ask out on a date, that new idea you want to turn into an invention, that relative that you want to talk to about Jesus, or that investment that you want to seize as an opportunity. Leaders especially know this. Everyone fails at some point, but no one wins who doesn’t take that step, who doesn’t at least participate with God (Eccl 11:1-6). Trusting God is not a risk. It is trust. It’s about strengthening your faith and seeing what God can do (Prov. 3:5).
- Be humble and stay focused. There will always be someone better than you. Stronger, faster, smarter. Always. You may not meet them right away. It may take thirty-three games before they show up. But they will. But that’s not the point. God designed you for what He wants you to do. So rise to the occasion. This is your moment. You are not competing against anyone but yourself. God did not call you to please the crowd, he called you to please Him (Prov. 11:2, Phil. 2:3, Rom. 12:3).
So today is a new day, and your time is now. You can choose to step up or stay down, to take risks or sit still, to be intentional or hope for accidents.
You can choose to trust God and live your life or sit back and let others experience that joy. The truth is, there is no risk in trusting God. No gamble there. And the result is always seeing Him work.
It’s up to you.
“Haven’t I commanded you: be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Josh. 1:9).