A colleague of mine came into the office with a big smile on his face. But instead of telling me why he was so happy, he went to his close buddy and whispered to his ears.A few minutes later, the story broke. Most people in the office knew that he just struck winning numbers (first prize). He told his buddy how happy he was and wanted to purchase a brand new laptop.
I have been telling him gently that gambling is not a good thing to do but he insisted that it is okay to do so. He's been gambling for years and he always see it as a quick way to earn money.
People who like gambling have many reasons to do so as they do not see it in the biblical perspective. In some countries, gambling is legal. Worldly legality does not mean it is in line with biblical law. Some laws are made to please men rather than God. The bible says:
"Everything is permissible-but not everything is beneficial. Everything is permissible, but not everything is constructive" (1 Corinthians 10:23-24)
The problem with gambling is that, it questions Christian faith and hope. Are we insecure when we do not have money? Do we like to be rich in a quick way? Are we hoping that we will have a good life with lots of money? Whom do we trust for our troubles?
First of all, money should be earned through decent work (using our skills and knowledge) and not through betting, hoping that our money will triple the amount by winning other people's money. Our great great grandfathers, Isaac, Abraham, Joseph and Jacob all worked hard to be wealthy and the bible says:
Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth. He who gathers crops in summer is a wise son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son. (Proverbs 10:4-5)
Secondly, Christians are told not to be worry about worldly things and wealth as their citizenship is in Heaven.
Therefore I tell you, do not worry about what you will eat; or about your body, what will you wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes (Luke 12:22-23)
Finally, as Christians, we should live a moderate life and not to be greedy especially in terms of money. Having extra money earned through a decent way is a bonus from God. God reminds us that Love for money is a root of evil (1 Tim 6:10). I have personally seen many individuals suffer for trying to get money in a wrong way. Some got beaten by money lenders and some were put in jail. These are all unnecessary sufferings.
God Bless.
God Bless.
2 comments:
In my old workplace, there were 15 employees. Of the 15 of us, only 5 don't gamble. The other 10 goes to casinos on weekly basis and play lottery like there's no tomorrow. One particular coworker buys a bunch of scratchers every day and she would be working and scratching her tickets. It was insane! I asked her how much had she lost in gambling and her answer had always been, "oh never, I always make money". It's really, really sad to see people so addicted. Of course, it's because they all want to be rich quick, with little effort. That's the dream of many.
I still believe in the old way to earn a living. That is to work hard and legal. People may not see our wrong doings but God sees.
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