This morning, I had a strange dream.
In the dream, I won $2.5 million.
When I woke up, I wasn’t thinking about expensive sports cars, luxury vacations, or a mansion overlooking the ocean. Instead, my mind immediately went to practical questions.
How much would I owe in taxes?
I could pay to get my hip fixed.
I could eliminate debt.
I could invest in a home.
I could help my children and grandchildren.
I could give generously to God’s work.
I could create lasting memories by taking my family on vacations.
As I reflected on the dream, I realized it wasn’t really about becoming rich. It revealed something much deeper.
Dreams Can Reveal Our Hearts
The Bible teaches that God occasionally spoke through dreams. Joseph, Daniel, and the wise men all received important messages while they slept. At the same time, Scripture reminds us that not every dream carries a divine message. Ecclesiastes 5:3 says, “A dream comes when there are many cares.”
Whether my dream came from God or was simply the product of my own thoughts, it prompted me to ask an important question:
What does this reveal about my heart?
Interestingly, money wasn’t the destination. It was simply the means to accomplish things that already mattered to me.
Health.
Family.
Generosity.
Freedom from debt.
Serving God with fewer financial burdens.
Perhaps that’s the real lesson.
Money Is a Tool, Not a Treasure
Money is powerful, but it is never the ultimate answer.
It can pay for surgeries, but it cannot guarantee health.
It can buy a nice home, but it cannot create a loving family.
It can fund a vacation, but it cannot manufacture joyful relationships.
It can support ministry, but it cannot replace a heart devoted to Christ.
The Bible never teaches that money is evil. Rather, it warns us about loving money more than God. Wealth is a wonderful servant but a terrible master.
When God entrusts resources to His people, He expects faithful stewardship, not selfish accumulation.
What Would You Do?
Here’s an interesting exercise.
Imagine someone handed you $2.5 million tomorrow.
After setting aside taxes, what would you do next?
Would you pay off debt?
Provide for your family?
Support missionaries?
Fund church planting?
Help people in need?
Invest wisely for the future?
Write your answers down.
You may discover something important.
Your list will reveal what matters most to you.
What Can You Do Today?
Here’s the question that challenged me the most.
What if the dream never comes true?
Can I still pursue those same priorities?
Maybe I can’t write a check for a new home today, but I can continue paying down debt.
Maybe I can’t fund a large mission project, but I can continue giving faithfully.
Maybe I can’t take my entire family on an extravagant vacation, but I can make time to create meaningful memories together.
Perhaps the dream wasn’t asking, “What would you do if you were rich?”
Perhaps it was asking, “How can you live according to your values right now?”
The Richest Person
The Apostle Paul wrote these remarkable words:
“I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.” (Philippians 4:11)
Notice he said learned.
Contentment doesn’t arrive with a bigger bank account.
It grows through trusting God.
If our joy depends on receiving millions of dollars, we will probably never be satisfied. But if our confidence rests in Christ, we can experience peace whether we have much or little.
Ironically, truly content people often become the most generous people because they understand that everything they have already belongs to God.
A Final Thought
That dream has stayed with me.
Not because I hope to become a millionaire.
But because it reminded me what I value most.
My health.
My family.
Generosity.
Freedom from debt.
Serving God wholeheartedly.
If God ever entrusted me with $2.5 million, I hope I would use it wisely.
But whether He does or not, I want to live today as the kind of person who would be faithful with whatever He places in my hands.
Jesus said it this way:
“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much.” — Luke 16:10
Maybe that’s the greatest lesson my dream had to teach.
The amount in our bank account matters far less than the condition of our heart.
