THE BIBLE'S VIEWPOINT/GAMBLING

What negative effects can gambling have on the gambler?

WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS The Bible warns that "those who are determined to be rich fall into temptation and a  snare and many senseless and harmful desires that plunge men into destruction and ruin." (By the way that goes for the female gender also.)  (1 Timothy 6:9)  Gambling is rooted in greed, and greed is so corrosive that the Bible lists "greediness" among several behaviors that should be strongly avoided. -Ephesians 5:3. 

With its focus on easy wealth, gambling nurtures a love of money-something that the Bible identifies as "a root of all sorts of injurious things."  The desire for money can easily become an overpowering influence in a person's life, leading to intense anxiety and damaging one's faith in God.  Figuratively speaking, the Bible describes those ensnared  by the love of money as having "stabbed themselves all over with many pains." -1 Timothy 6:10.

Greediness breeds discontent, leaving people unsatisfied with their financial status and robbing them of their happiness.  A lover of silver will never be satisfied with silver, nor a lover of wealth with income." -Ecclesiastes 5:10. 

Millions lured into gambling have themselves ensnared by a vicious gambling addiction.  The problem is widespread, with  millions of gambling addicts in the United States alone, according to estimates. 

One proverb states: "An inheritance obtained first by greed will not be a blessing in the end." (Proverbs 20:1)  Problem gambling has plunged addicts into debt or even bankruptcy and has cost many  of them jobs, marriages, and friendships.  Applying the Bible's guiding principles can help a person avoid the negative effects that gambling can have on life and happiness.  

Next time: How to Deal with Anxiety

From the AWAKE! magazine, 2015