We think this question needs to be approached from an entirely different angle. The Christian life isn’t about staying on the “safe” side of the rules and regulations. As a disciple of Jesus, it’s not your concern to figure out if “God is okay” with a little game of poker and a small bet between friends. Instead, you should be focusing on making choices that promote holiness and purity of mind. You should have an earnest desire to do everything to the glory of God (I Corinthians 10:31).
What you really want to know, then, is how this activity is likely to affect you if you engage in it for any length of time. Will it encourage you to embrace kingdom values? Will it help you put aside selfishness and materialism? Will it enable you to love God and other people with freedom and abandon? Or will it rather set you on a path that leads in a very different direction?
All of the relevant evidence leads us to believe that gambling is can often become an addictive and compulsive form of behavior. Not only that, but it is frequently destructive to individuals and families alike. What’s more, the addictive and compulsive qualities of gambling are progressive in nature. They start small and grow over the course of time. In some cases they eventually become all-consuming.
Our best advice, then, is to steer clear of gambling in any form. As we see it, it’s all too easy to nickel and dime your way into a hole. That hole can become so deep that you’ll regret you ever got into it. This is something you want to avoid if at all possible.
If you think it might be helpful to discuss this subject at greater length, call us for a free consultation. Our staff counselors would consider it a privilege to speak with you over the phone.
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Social Issues: Gambling
