I’m thinking about gambling

Our financial state as a fellowship on campus in 1992 was so
bad, we looked to 7Up for redemption. It was those days of amazing
promos aired by major soft drink companies, led by 7Up and Pepsi and later,
Coca Cola. They offered attractive prizes, from cash to brand new cars. I remember 13 Jettas!!

All you had to do was buy a bottle of any of their products,
check the inside of crown cork for an instant gift item or match some numbers
or letters written inside the crown cork to win the mega prizes.

Lucky winners were announced weekly on a Network TV Show.
The tension in the Nation was memorable as people consumed these products with more than mere refreshment in mind.

Our motive on campus was sincere so we added fervent prayers
to facilitate the anticipated jackpot. We were later convinced it was gambling and
stopped.  

I heard the story then of a man who threw a birthday party
for his 3yr old child and served the kids in the neighborhood bottles of 7Up
and Pepsi but without the crown corks. They all refused the drinks since the
celebrant’s dad took the corks.

The Nigeria Medical Association protested to the government, as they
felt the promos would soon lead to increased cases of diabetes and other related
diseases nationwide. They brought the promos to an abrupt end.

This short article (much like an ad) on the  $500m
lottery jackpot up for grabs now in the USA caught my attention yesterday. It
reminded me of the expectations we nursed on campus those days, when a bag of
7Up and Pepsi crown corks all colored with luck and hope, jangled away in my
locker.

A friend asked me sometime ago, “What’s wrong with
desiring to win a lottery so one can use the money to help others? If one gave
the entire winnings from a lottery or most of it to feed the poor, would that
be wrong?”

What of the American Visa Lottery? Is that gambling
too?

After all the Bible says, “Sow your seed in the
morning, and at evening let not your hands be idle, for you do not know which
will succeed…” Ecc
11:6 Quite a punchy scripture for ardent gamblers you’d say.

But doesn’t dependence on luck undermine the favor, grace and
sovereignty of God or are there exceptions? What does the Bible say about
gambling? Is it the same as “casting lots” or “sowing
seeds”? Should we just leave God out of this matter?

Not many things can be as alluring as the desire to get rich
effortlessly and quick. Corruption thrives on account of this and even
Christians struggle in the snare of opportunities that are questionable.

Someone said though, “…playing the lottery is much like
drinking alcohol. If you can’t do it without a dirty conscience then don’t, but
be careful that what you are feeling is not the guilt heaped upon you by
Pharisaical pietists who will spend thousands on golf clubs… and all manners
of entertainments not employed for life or furtherance of the Gospel…”

Addiction to gambling, like alcohol has broken many marriages and
shattered many dreams. Its seductive nature provides a great platform for seeds
of covetousness to manifest in manifold insidious forms.

That said, what if someone bought you the ticket that
eventually won, would you toss it into the fire with a shout like, “Get
behind me Satan!!” or would you thank God for the miracle? What if a
lottery winner pays the tithe in full or even in part to your church or ministry,
as the leader, would you return it?

What counsel would you give someone planning to spend some
money on gambling this weekend?

Author: Uche Izuora

I'm inspired by God’s passion for His name in every generation, which provokes global worship through Jesus Christ. Becoming an emotionally healthy and transformative disciple, I aim to mobilize the Church to engage in cross-cultural missions and raise other like-minded disciples who discover themselves in Christ and seek to present and represent Him as Savior and Lord among the nations northward of Uganda. View all posts by Uche Izuora