'Best thing to do': Family returns bank check mistakenly written for $1 million

WAXHAW, North Carolina -- What would you do if you got a $1 million check in the mail?

That happened to a family in North Carolina.

"We freaked out," Eric Gabriel told WSOC-TV. "You kind of jump up and down."

The family received a check from Bank of America for $1 million.

"I could feel my flesh say, 'I want this,' but it wasn't mine," Gabriel said. "All these thoughts run through your mind, like, 'Oh, I can do this. I might not even have to work.'"

He was expecting cash from the bank, but definitely not that much. Gabriel admitted that the thought of becoming an overnight millionaire was tempting, but he ultimately gave the check back.

"We prayed about it and we decided the best thing to do is glorify God with everything we do, so we decided to take it back," Gabriel said.

Gabriel said the mistake surprised him because several people had to sign off on the check before it landed in his hands.

"They basically said, 'Oops, we made a mistake,' and that's all they said," Gabriel said.

While he isn't rolling in the cash right now, Gabriel is sleeping well at night.

"Christ in me wouldn't allow me to do the wrong thing," he added.