Am I paranoid or does there just seem to be a card game being held at every corner these days? Department store shelves are lined with poker chips. Even kid’s toy selections offer a variety of gambling options to train our young folks at an early age how to mishandle their money. I guess I should hardly be surprised by the recent growth in popularity of these new attractions. For years our beloved government has sanctioned gambling as a viable income source. Casinos and lotteries abound. It was only a matter of time that the ungodly effects of all this started to affect the grass roots of society.
So exactly what is wrong with gambling anyway? After all it’s just a bit of fun isn’t it? Consider the following verse from the Scriptures:
Proverbs 11:1
“A false balance is abomination to the LORD: but a just weight is his delight. “
You have ten dollars in your pocket. You walk into a grocery store and get a couple of loaves of bread and a bag of milk. You go to the checkout and hand the smiling cashier the ten-dollar bill. She presses a few buttons and gives you two dollars back. Now that is a just and equitable transaction (whatever you may think of the prices!) In exchange for your hard earned money you walked away with goods worthy of what you spent. The store is happy. You are happy.
The ethics of gambling are completely contradictory to a just and godly transaction. Many people spend their money; a few walk away with it. That is not a godly deal. You might argue, “Well I am paying for the entertainment.” If you find it entertaining to give away your hard earned wage may I be so bold as to just give you my account number? On the other hand maybe you find it entertaining to take someone else’s money without giving them something for it. I think that under other circumstances even governments would call that robbery. And yet they sanction such behavior daily using fancy names and high paid advertising.
The Word of God has some very good advice concerning anything remotely connected with gambling. It Is Written,
Proverbs 4:14, 15
“Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.”
Judging from the length of lines at the lottery ticket counters and the varied selection of poker chips in store toy departments I would suggest to you that this advice is not being followed.