Should A Christian Gamble?
The expansion of casinos, betting pools, state lotteries, slot machines, poker tournaments, horse and dog tracks throughout our culture clamor for our hard-earned dollars and Americans are giving in to the tune of billions of dollars annually. Gambling’s popularity is at an all-time high, but so are the financial and social problems associated with gambling addiction. The thrill of getting rich quick without the investment of hard work appeals to a lot of people who dream of purchasing a winning lottery ticket out of the rat race.
In one sense, everything we do in life is a gamble. We take chances in business, in marriage, even when driving in traffic. All of life involves risk-taking; it comes with the territory. From this perspective, the Christian philosopher Pascal wrote about gambling on the Gospel. He dared atheists to wager on Jesus, claiming that there was nothing to lose and everything to gain.
However, the kind of risk we take in the normal course of life is vastly different than the Las Vegas style gaming industry. Such gambling is problematic for the Christian because it goes contrary to God’s creation mandate to work. When we are engaged in productive, beneficial labor, we are submitting to a God-given directive (Genesis 1:28; 2:15).
In contrast, gambling is a substitute for this labor, motivated by greed and sloth, which in the end, appeals only to itself. Gambling does not produce anything; its only byproduct is the entertainment value involved in risk-taking. For some people, they do see gambling as a form of entertainment, therefore they place limits on how much money they will risk. However, some are not capable of staying within self-imposed limits, and they place everything they have at risk, eventually becoming destitute and harming their family.
As managers of God’s money (Psalm 24:1; Deuteronomy 8:18), Christians should seek to invest wisely, providing for and protecting their families (1 Timothy 5:8) and for the work of the Lord (2 Corinthians 9:6-10). Betting against the odds hardly falls under the category of “responsible stewardship.”
While the Bible does not directly forbid gambling, the environment surrounding gambling casinos suggests that a serious Christian should avoid them. There is nothing about a gambling operation that edifies or builds up the believer. Furthermore, when so many ministries continually struggle for funding, why should Christians willingly put money into an industry that is so counter-productive to the message of the Gospel? If anything, monies should be invested in evangelistic ministries to reach those who find their temporary significance in their pursuit of gambling.
We honor the Lord when we manage God’s resources according to His Kingdom principles and refuse to participate in the “games” that people play.
