Recently, the movie ‘How To Make Millions Before Grandma Dies’ has taken the world by storm. In this film, we follow the journey of the protagonist, M, in his quest to earn his inheritance through becoming his grandmother’s, Amah’s, primary caretaker as she battles cancer. The film also documents the aforementioned characters’ evolving dynamics as the days pass, along with many touching and bittersweet moments. It has probably become a well-known fact that I loved this movie, candidly sharing that I “bawled five minutes into the movie and never stopped until it ended” with any person kind enough to sacrifice his or her precious time to listen to my thoughts on the show. As I watched the movie's plot unfold in the cinema, I could not help but draw parallels between the lessons learnt from the show and the lessons we ought to know as Christians...
1. Honour Your Father and Mother
In the aforementioned film, a salient theme would be that of family and filial piety. The film depicts how Amah’s only daughter, Chew, takes time off work to bring her mother for chemotherapy, despite being the busiest one out of all her siblings. Incidentally, she is the only child of Amah who wholeheartedly cares for her without expecting anything in return. As the narrative continued to unfold, I began to reflect on my actions as a daughter. Do I treat my parents with the same love and respect as Chew in the film? While I was growing up, Ephesians 6:1-3 was always plastered across the wall of my childhood bedroom. It reads: “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ‘Honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment with promise: ‘that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.’” Back then, all I understood of the aforementioned verses was that if the teacher at Sunday Bible Class asked us to recite them by heart, I would be the quickest to do so. Now, I realise just how important these verses are. They remind me of my duty as a daughter, as commanded by God: to recognise the authority God has given my parents and obey them (Colossians 3:20), to respect them (Leviticus 19:3), and to be thankful for what they have done for me. Honouring my parents not only means just keeping mum (pun unintended) when their little quirks annoy me, but it also means acceding to their wishes even if I disagree with them, making an effort to spend time with them, as well as choosing my words and the tone in which I speak with judiciously.
2. God’s Unconditional Love
Throughout the film, we observe how Amah’s sons hardly visited and cared for her, even asking for money and the title deed to her house as her health deteriorated. Even so, Amah loved them right to the end, aiding them financially and even allowing her sons to sell her house and place her in a nursing home. I found myself asking: “How could Amah give so much despite knowing that she would receive nothing at all?” It was then that I was reminded of God’s unchanging love for us undeserving sinners. The verse John 3:16 comes to mind: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” God’s love for us was so great that he sent His only Son to die on the cross for the remission of our sins. His love is selfless, pure, as well as abundant, despite the many transgressions we commit each day. Therefore, being cognisant of His great love for us, we should abhor sin (Romans 12:9), share the Gospel, reach out to lost souls, and love others as He loves us. In a similar vein, God’s love should motivate us to show our love for Him by obeying Him, as stated in John 14:15: “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” In total, we are not to take God’s love for us for granted, but rather, use it to fuel good works that glorify His name.
3. The True Source of Wealth
This film teaches us that the true source of wealth is not monetary, as seen from how at the end of the film, the greatest gift M received was the strong bond he shared with Amah, rather than the inheritance he had hoped to receive. Similarly, as Christians, true wealth is neither defined by the number of designer bags we own, nor quantified by the number of shares we hold in the stock market. True wealth lies in knowing the love of Christ which passes knowledge and being filled with the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:19). In fact, the greatest reward we can receive is the ability to spend eternity with our heavenly Father. Hence, we ought to lay up our treasures in heaven, as stated in Matthew 6:19-21. In other words, we are to put our time, money, resources, and talents into pursuits that glorify God. Additionally, it is imperative that we remain content with what we have, for this world is not our home and the riches we may possess now are merely ephemeral. Oftentimes, we let ourselves be distracted by the allure of material goods, blissfully unaware that greediness can lead us astray and result in destruction and perdition, as elucidated in 1 Timothy 6:9. Ergo, rather than chasing worldly ideals, let us make a conscious effort to be grateful for what we have and seek first the Kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33).
It is funny how a plot centered on scheming to gain one’s monetary inheritance turned into a lesson on what we truly inherit as children of God: the responsibilities of honouring our parents, embracing His unconditional love and valuing eternal wealth over worldly riches. While M may not have become a millionaire in the way he initially planned, he struck gold in discovering the value of familial bonds and love. Likewise, let us all aim to be spiritual millionaires— rich in love, faith, and good works so that we can glorify His name.
Ask Myself:
What are some characteristics of a people who lay up their treasures in heaven?
What does 1 Timothy 6:9 tell us about the danger of greediness?
What are some measures you can take to ensure that you are pursuing God instead of worldly ideals?
Suggested Answers:
They are stewards of God, are faithful in serving Him, and prioritise spiritual growth.
Greed fuels a desire for more wealth, possessions, or status, which can distract us from fulfilling God’s intended purpose for our lives.
You may discuss this with the writer or your Bible class teacher.