The Odds Are Stacked… Against You.
I was walking within the church pews during a service some time ago, and I saw a young man, whom I knew to be easy-going and spiritual, silently scrolling through a popular sports betting platform, probably monitoring his bets or placing a bet. I was taken aback, as I would never have suspected that he was involved in such an activity. There are so many other examples of people we believe are serious Christians, yet they are caught up in betting or gambling, online and offline! Let’s address this issue head-on; betting is among our youths, sisters, fathers, and sometimes silently among those who are most faithful and committed to church activities. And it is not just the online version; even the physical betting shops are not devoid of people seeking to make quick money.
As Christians, how are we supposed to respond to this issue? Are we supposed to judge, condemn, or dismiss the factors responsible for these acts when some “Christians” in their own “wisdom” find a reason for the practice? Or should we act like it doesn’t matter? Christians must stop and ask: Does this align with our faith?
Why do people bet?
1. The Lure of Quick Money
The notion that a few clicks here and there, or a few predictions, are all you need to make money makes it endearing and seems harmless. In defence, Christians will say, “It is an avenue to make money from your passion for sport. It’s fun – not a vice.” Little do they know that beneath the glitz and excitement, something deeper is being affected: their faith, their absolute dependence on God, their heart, and their value. The scriptures say, “He/she that makes haste to be rich shall not be innocent.”
2. Peer-Pressure & Popularity
If you are one of the people who say, “Everybody is doing it,” I’m happy to announce to you that not everybody is doing it. Truly, it is hard to gather 10 youths or adults, especially of the male gender, without finding one or two persons somehow involved in online betting. However, just because online betting is popular does not mean it should serve as an excuse for your participation. Remember, your affection as a Christian should be centred on the things above. While the above-mentioned ideas may not capture all “the why,” they form critical aspects.
The real cost of betting you didn’t know
1. Greed
When you begin to engage in online betting, know that you are already suffering from greed and a love for money. Online betting thrives on the love for money beyond earning but craving it. Greed can cost you your salvation.
2. Trusting in luck against trusting in God
Lack of trust in God is a report card showing you’ve veered off from God. The Bible gives us a prescription in Proverbs 3:5. You can’t share your heart between luck and God. One thing many bettors fail to realise on time is that betting slips will always slip; two-sure is rarely sure, and the odds may never add up, but God is a God of ‘against all odds’, He is too faithful for a slip-up, and His ways are too sure!
3. Mismanagement
Lack of management is another danger of betting. If God gives you resources (money) and you lose it to gambling (which is the case 90 per cent of the time), it tells God you cannot be trusted with resources. Remember the scripture in Luke 16:10-12. Online betting is a sign of financial recklessness.
4. Addiction
This is very dangerous. Once you are addicted to online gambling, it will take the grace of God to rescue you. The more you engage in this act, the more you form the habit emotionally, mentally, and even spiritually. You say to yourself, “Just this once, it will boom, and I will stop,” then it doesn’t, or maybe it even does, and you enjoy the quick money. What you thought would be a once-and-for-all thing becomes a once-again-and-always thing. 1 Corinthians 6:12 admonishes us that we must not be mastered by anything.
5. Debt.
Many have run into massive debts because of this monster. You hear of people staking their school fees, house rents, business capital or people’s investments on bets; some even borrow to bet. When it fails, it destroys homes, academics, businesses, or marriages. Betting was never meant to favour the bettor—don’t get stuck!
Steps to Freedom
1. Practise contentment and gratitude.
2. Be diligent at whatever your hands find to do.
3. Ask for the help of the Holy Spirit and build a community of believers and brethren who walk according to the Spirit around you.
4. Sow into someone else’s life. Instead of investing in odds, invest in people.
5. Have a trusted friend, pastor, or mentor you can talk to. Accountability helps break bad habits and brings healing.
6. Choose life, not the illusion that betting gives. It hardly works!
We all want breakthroughs, but let it come from God. (Jeremiah 29:11, 3 John 1:2.) God wants to prosper you, but not through betting or gambling. Remember, only the blessing of the Lord makes you rich, and He adds no sorrow to it. Don’t settle for blessing today and sorrow tomorrow; instead, work for what will last in your hands.