Tips for Safe Christian Gambling? \
We all gamble; we just give it other names.
If we are investing in the stock market we look at performance. We are betting that the stock we pick will not be a loss, but that it will out-earn the ones we could have bought. If we buy homeowner's insurance, we are betting that our house will burn down while the insurance company is betting it won't. With a little thought, most of us would be able to see other aspects of life which might be a form of gambling that are socially acceptable.
Christians buying a lottery ticket now and then aren't usually in deep sin. If God tells you that it's not right for you personally, then that's a different matter. But there are a few problems with the type of gambling most of us think about when we use that word.
First of all, "gambling" is looking for a big return from little effort and no time comittment, the direct opposite of the Law of the Harvest that Jesus talked about throughout the Gospels. The first part of that Law says that what goes around always comes around, as in, "As you sow, also will you reap." What we do in life always comes back as either a blessing or as a curse, depending on what we've sown. The other half of the Law of the Harvest tells us that we always reap more than we sow, and it works just as well for evil as it does for good. It may look like the evil prosper, but winning is one thing; keeping is something else.
One of the silliest comments I've ever heard is, "The Lottery is ONLY four million now. I'll wait until it gets up there a ways first." Translation: winning enough money will fix our problems, and four million might not be enough. In other words, "I have decided to depend on money, not on you, God," although few of would have the courage actually say that to God and mean it for very long. Do you see why winning the Lottery might not be a very good idea for many Christians?
Once I caught myself playing, "Lets Make A Deal With God So I Can Win The Lottery," and you may have played it as well. It usually sounds something like, "Well, Lord, if you let me win the lottery, I can take care of our church's budget problems."
On the surface, it sounds like a good plan, but suppose the church later has another pressing need. To whom will they turn first? They may be asking God for help while a video of me writing another check is playing just behind fifty pairs of eyeballs.
The Lord just smiled at my ill-informed offer and said, "Jerry, you know I always start small and work up. Faithfulness in small things leads to faithfulness in great things, never the other way around.
He continued, "Let's see now, what have you been doing with the small amount I've given you? What can you do extra? Can you send a small check to help support Christian radio? How about a small donation to help feed the hungry in Cincinnati? Pick something easy you can do so you build a winning track record, and then maybe we can talk about that lottery idea of yours."
After thaat hot tip, I'll bet you won't catch me in the ticket line any time soon.
If we are investing in the stock market we look at performance. We are betting that the stock we pick will not be a loss, but that it will out-earn the ones we could have bought. If we buy homeowner's insurance, we are betting that our house will burn down while the insurance company is betting it won't. With a little thought, most of us would be able to see other aspects of life which might be a form of gambling that are socially acceptable.
Christians buying a lottery ticket now and then aren't usually in deep sin. If God tells you that it's not right for you personally, then that's a different matter. But there are a few problems with the type of gambling most of us think about when we use that word.
First of all, "gambling" is looking for a big return from little effort and no time comittment, the direct opposite of the Law of the Harvest that Jesus talked about throughout the Gospels. The first part of that Law says that what goes around always comes around, as in, "As you sow, also will you reap." What we do in life always comes back as either a blessing or as a curse, depending on what we've sown. The other half of the Law of the Harvest tells us that we always reap more than we sow, and it works just as well for evil as it does for good. It may look like the evil prosper, but winning is one thing; keeping is something else.
One of the silliest comments I've ever heard is, "The Lottery is ONLY four million now. I'll wait until it gets up there a ways first." Translation: winning enough money will fix our problems, and four million might not be enough. In other words, "I have decided to depend on money, not on you, God," although few of would have the courage actually say that to God and mean it for very long. Do you see why winning the Lottery might not be a very good idea for many Christians?
Once I caught myself playing, "Lets Make A Deal With God So I Can Win The Lottery," and you may have played it as well. It usually sounds something like, "Well, Lord, if you let me win the lottery, I can take care of our church's budget problems."
On the surface, it sounds like a good plan, but suppose the church later has another pressing need. To whom will they turn first? They may be asking God for help while a video of me writing another check is playing just behind fifty pairs of eyeballs.
The Lord just smiled at my ill-informed offer and said, "Jerry, you know I always start small and work up. Faithfulness in small things leads to faithfulness in great things, never the other way around.
He continued, "Let's see now, what have you been doing with the small amount I've given you? What can you do extra? Can you send a small check to help support Christian radio? How about a small donation to help feed the hungry in Cincinnati? Pick something easy you can do so you build a winning track record, and then maybe we can talk about that lottery idea of yours."
After thaat hot tip, I'll bet you won't catch me in the ticket line any time soon.
No comments have been added yet.
