What’s with Number 8?

Yesterday, the company treated us with a full course Chinese meal in celebration of the Lunar New Year. We had the traditional Yusheng, or prosperity toss, a salad consisting of strips of salmon, mixed with shredded vegetables and a variety of sauces and condiments and other ingredients. The higher you toss with your chopsticks, the more prosperous your new year will be, they say.

While eating the 6 course meal, our boss handed out to each one of us a red envelope known popularly as ‘ang-pau’ with 88 Singapore dollars in it.

It got me thinking, what’s with number 8? Why is it considered a lucky number?

“8 has long been regarded as the luckiest number in Chinese culture. With pronunciation of 'Ba' in Chinese, number 8 sounds similar to the word 'Fa', which means to make a fortune. It contains meanings of prosperity, success and high social status.”

I respect the belief and I sometimes catch myself saying ‘good luck’ to people. But our faith should put it in the right perspective.

Throughout the whole of Scripture, it is clear that God is in control of all of His creation and is somehow able to take the random acts of natural law, the free will of both good and evil men, and the wicked intent of demons and combine them all to accomplish His good and perfect will. And we Christians, specifically, are given the promise that God works all things, whether seemingly good or bad, together for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).

This is what we should hold on to, regardless of any number that we come across with.

But I am thankful for the blessing of 88 SGD!

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