It’s just a game
0 comments | Posted by Steven Layson on 04 Sep 2010 in From Steve's Study ::
It’s been quite a week in sport hasn’t it? From the Pakistani Cricket Betting Scandal, to doubts about the Australian Cricket win in January & the NRL investigating allegations of “spot fixing” in the Bulldogs/Cowboys match.
It seems there is a creeping cancer in the realm of sport – that of gambling. And it is becoming an all-pervasive influence – many televised games are now littered with running commentary of betting odds. Is it any wonder that there would be an increase in betting scandals in such an environment?
Of course, this is no new phenomenon & it is certainly not restricted to the sporting fields. Indeed, a big part of the negotiations between the independent MP Andrew Wilkie and the two Federal parties has been about regulations for the gambling industry.
So, what should the Christian response be to all this? Certainly we need to be aware of the damaging consequences gambling can have on individuals and families. A couple of weeks ago, in our evening services, we had the privilege of hearing the testimony of a man whose life had been almost completely wrecked by a gambling addiction. We heard about how he was dragged further and further into trouble, losing his family and house along the way. It was only when he was able to acknowledge his complete need for God’s grace, and total inability to save himself, that he was able to be released from it.
At its core, gambling is not simply “harmless fun”, it is a desire to “get something for nothing”, an expression of greed. And like all sin, greed can become addictive and harmful to us spiritually, as well as physically, emotionally and financially.
We may never be able to wean our society off its reliance on gambling income (though it is important for us to speak to our local representatives about this), but as Christians we must be wary of the effect in can have on us personally. Paul reminds us in Gal 5:1 that “it is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” Don’t let the world’s addiction to gambling get into your life and take you away from reliance on God’s grace or your contentment in him.
We received a note from a US reader to this article, Mariyln Lancelot, who is a recovering alcoholic, gambler, and with other addiction problems. She has published books (Gripped by Gambling, Switching Addictions) to support people on the recovery road from addiction, as well as an online newsletter, Women Helping Women, at www.femalegamblers.info
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