I'm the Bill Gates of . . .

On social media, I saw a funny drawing of a lady doing housework. The title read, “I’m the Bill Gates of dishes!” I thought the statement was so absurd that I left a comment.

To me, being the Bill Gates of anything is like comparing apples to oranges.

For one thing, I don’t think many people in the whole world could even comprehend how rich Bill Gates is. His net wealth is estimated between $63 billion and $65 billion. I have a very hard time envisioning a million dollars. A billion is so far out there that I absolutely have no concept of it. Then, multiply a billion over sixty times????

Intellect and vision. Bill Gates was a boy genius, a nerdy tech brain with a knack for understanding the need of the moment. When others hadn’t even thought of having a personal computer, he was working on fun software. Microsoft made him billions, but he made Microsoft.

Philanthropist. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation gives away more money in one year than we will see in a lifetime. Bill Gates has given $29 billion so far. Personally. The Foundation works mainly to help the world’s poor in health care (including HIV retroviral care, vaccines, malaria prevention, and much more), development in poverty-stricken populations, and in education. The only person in the world who has given more to charitable causes is Warren Buffet, who is considerably older than Gates. (He has given $31 billion, much of it through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.)

Bill Gates and I do have a few things in common:

• We’re close to the same age. (He’s older.)
• We have both been voracious readers from very young.
• We value marriage and family.
• We both understand our blessings. Bill Gates said to the Telegraph, “I’m certainly well taken care of in terms of food and clothes. Money has no utility to me beyond a certain point. Its utility is entirely in building an organization and getting the resources out to the poorest in the world.”
• We feel strongly that people should obey the Golden Rule (Luke 6:31). Mr. Gates said, "... it’s about human dignity and equality. The golden rule that all lives have equal value and we should treat people as we would like to be treated." (Telegraph)

To my knowledge, Bill Gates has never professed to be a born-again believer in Jesus Christ. As far as I could tell from my research, he would be categorized as an agnostic. It’s not that he’s against religion, though he once said he had better things to do on Sunday mornings. 

I sincerely hope that, if he has yet not done so, he will find the Lord Jesus as his personal Savior. It is much more important to be rich toward God than to be rich on earth. (Luke 12:20-21) For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? (Mark 8:36)

I sincerely applaud Bill and Melinda for their efforts to alleviate the suffering of millions of the world’s poorest. I am thankful that they are using their wealth to benefit others and not simply hoarding for themselves.* I am glad to see that money is not their focus.

I enjoy watching interviews with Bill Gates. He still has messy hair, a boyish look, and a casual manner. He seems approachable and kind.

He is an amazing, successful, and giving person. 

He’s so beyond almost all the rest of the world that . . .

I can’t imagine anyone honestly saying, “I’m the Bill Gates of anything.”

Apples and oranges.

*None of my statements should be understood as a blanket endorsement of the Gates Foundation.