Is Life A Gamble?

In recent years gambling has become more accepted and normalised as something on which to spend expendable income and can even be seen as an innocent hobby or harmless entertainment. In television adverts, gambling companies portray gambling as a social experience and one that can bring great emotional highs.

Most people feel in control of the money they spend and choose only to have the ‘odd flutter’, whether it be on the horses, a football match or even a lottery. So what can be the harm in it? How could it be wrong? It’s just an occasional bet which could improve the finances and lifestyle of an individual or family. For others though, gambling starts in this way but quickly becomes something that takes over their life and regrettably, for many across the UK gambling causes financial catastrophe, divorce and even suicide.

The charity ‘Gambling with Lives’ estimates that in the UK alone:

• there are between 250 and 650 gambling related suicides each year
• and that up to 1.44 million adults are addicted to gambling

Compulsive gambling can often go unnoticed by loved ones. With today’s technology betting can be done in secret by logging into gambling sites or apps on a mobile device and gambling away hundreds if not thousands of pounds in very short spaces of time.

Unlike other vices such as alcohol or drugs, gamblers can go through daily life showing no real outward physical signs that they have a problem. There have been countless stories told in recent years of people who have committed suicide, their shocked relatives in disbelief that someone they thought they knew so well was gambling day and night and felt so lost and out of their depth financially.

So why does gambling cause such pain and misery? And what does the bible say about gambling?

The Bible never specifically condemns gambling, betting or games. However, the Bible does tell us of God ordained moral laws which we are to measure ourselves against. The act of breaking these laws is described as sin against God. Sin separates us from God and only leads to misery and destruction. So how then is it sinful to gamble?

Gambling is often driven by the love of money. This love for money can become the focus of our lives and without even realising it can quickly become an idol that we worship. We can spend huge amounts of time dreaming of what we could buy if we won the lottery or if we correctly predicted a few horse races. This materialistic way of thinking pushes our love of God aside and instead of our hope resting solely in him, it rests in the things of the world. We can break the first commandment as we replace God with our love of material wealth. We can also violate the tenth commandment if we root our thoughts in selfishness and greed. If further out of control, gambling can lead to breaking more of Gods laws to satisfy the habit, leading to lies, hateful thoughts and even stealing,

Life should not be gambled. Our hope is in the Lord and not in the lottery.