Tweet
Why do People Gamble.......Interesting.
Why do people gamble?
By Tim R. Alanib
YOUNG and old people gamble. Do you gamble?
A thousand dollar question on hand is - why do people gamble? The reason vary from person to person.
* Some gamble because their friends urge them to. Rather than be left out of made fun of, they take part.
* Others gamble because it is exciting and fun. They feel that betting on the outcome of a game makes it more interesting. Winning makes a person happy. Losing usually brings anger or depression. But win or lose, emotion runs high. It is easy to see why people who are bored frequently turn to gambling for excitement. Some come to depend on gambling for excitement. They become compulsive gamblers.
* You may know someone who keeps gambling even though he almost loses. Strange as it seems, some people gamble because they want to lose. They have a desire to be punished, to be hurt. Since very few win in gambling, it fills a need in their lives. Such people are suffering from emotional sickness and need special help.
* Gambling attracts many because it offers a way to get rich quick with no work or little effort. Even when stakes are not large, gambling promises something for nothing - or for very little. Give-aways, prizes, and so-called free offers in advertising have made "something for nothing" a widely accepted idea in America. What about in the "Land of the Morning"?
Gambling, as a fact, pays no dividends. But yet many people, young and old gamble.
Gambling violates biblical principles. The Bible contains no specific command about gambling. But gambling is contrary to the spirit of the Scriptures.
The Bible stresses the sovereignty of God in life (Matthew 10:29,30); gambling is based on chance and luck. The Bible is opposed to covetousness and materialism (Matthew 6:19-34); both are basic in the desire to gamble. The Bible condemns thief (Matthew 19:18); gambling is usually theft by mutual consent.
The Bible stresses love for neighbor (Matthew 22:37-40); gambling seeks personal gain at the expense of one's neighbor. The Bible urges men to take part in honest, constructive work (Ephesians 4:28; II Thessalonians 3:10-12); gambling stimulates a something-for-nothing outlook. The Bible calls for stewardship of life and possessions (Romans 14:12; Colossians 3:17); gambling undermines both the recognition and practice of stewardship.
A point to be stressed from the above paragraph is that the Bible is opposed to covetousness and materialism. Both are basic in the desire to gamble. A warning on covetousness/greed and materialism from God's word runs: "Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions" (Luke 12:15).
"But do not let... any impurity or greed even be named among you, as is proper among saints" (Ephesians 5:3).
Since these vices (covetousness and materialism) portray selfishness and unconcern for others, a believer should not have even a hint of these sins in his life.
Here's a story on covetousness/materialism. Read and ponder on this.
Yussif, the terrible Turk, was a 350-pound wrestler who two generations ago won the European wrestling championship and then came to this country (the US) seeking other continents to conquer. Here he found a wrestler named Strangler Lewis, who was the American champ. Yussif promptly challenged him to a contest for the world championship.
When the two wrestlers met, the Strangler found his great potent weapon - that of winding his mighty arm on his opponent's neck and pressing his bulging biceps on his Adam's apple until he collapsed from lack of oxygen - useless.
The Turk's neck was so huge he could not get his arm around it. Lewis tried hard to strangle Yussif but he simply would not cooperate.
Lewis weighed only 200 pounds and with his one weapon gone he was helpless. The Turk tossed the American champ around like a volleyball and won the bout.
Yussif won not only the crown, but along with that he received something of more practical value and much, much more to his liking - a purse of $5,000, his share of the gate receipts.
Yussif loved money and he loved to possess it in its most tangible form, so he demanded his pay in US gold, which he crammed into a money belt and strapped around his huge equator.
Thus attired in gloryland gold and he sailed on the S.S. Burgoyne.
Part way across the Atlantic, the Burgoyne sank. Yussif went over the side with his goldstill clasped around his body. The added weight was too much for even the Terrible Turk to keep afloat and before the sailors in the life boats could reach him, he plunged to the bottom like an anvil and was never seen again.
By Tim R. Alanib
YOUNG and old people gamble. Do you gamble?
A thousand dollar question on hand is - why do people gamble? The reason vary from person to person.
* Some gamble because their friends urge them to. Rather than be left out of made fun of, they take part.
* Others gamble because it is exciting and fun. They feel that betting on the outcome of a game makes it more interesting. Winning makes a person happy. Losing usually brings anger or depression. But win or lose, emotion runs high. It is easy to see why people who are bored frequently turn to gambling for excitement. Some come to depend on gambling for excitement. They become compulsive gamblers.
* You may know someone who keeps gambling even though he almost loses. Strange as it seems, some people gamble because they want to lose. They have a desire to be punished, to be hurt. Since very few win in gambling, it fills a need in their lives. Such people are suffering from emotional sickness and need special help.
* Gambling attracts many because it offers a way to get rich quick with no work or little effort. Even when stakes are not large, gambling promises something for nothing - or for very little. Give-aways, prizes, and so-called free offers in advertising have made "something for nothing" a widely accepted idea in America. What about in the "Land of the Morning"?
Gambling, as a fact, pays no dividends. But yet many people, young and old gamble.
Gambling violates biblical principles. The Bible contains no specific command about gambling. But gambling is contrary to the spirit of the Scriptures.
The Bible stresses the sovereignty of God in life (Matthew 10:29,30); gambling is based on chance and luck. The Bible is opposed to covetousness and materialism (Matthew 6:19-34); both are basic in the desire to gamble. The Bible condemns thief (Matthew 19:18); gambling is usually theft by mutual consent.
The Bible stresses love for neighbor (Matthew 22:37-40); gambling seeks personal gain at the expense of one's neighbor. The Bible urges men to take part in honest, constructive work (Ephesians 4:28; II Thessalonians 3:10-12); gambling stimulates a something-for-nothing outlook. The Bible calls for stewardship of life and possessions (Romans 14:12; Colossians 3:17); gambling undermines both the recognition and practice of stewardship.
A point to be stressed from the above paragraph is that the Bible is opposed to covetousness and materialism. Both are basic in the desire to gamble. A warning on covetousness/greed and materialism from God's word runs: "Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions" (Luke 12:15).
"But do not let... any impurity or greed even be named among you, as is proper among saints" (Ephesians 5:3).
Since these vices (covetousness and materialism) portray selfishness and unconcern for others, a believer should not have even a hint of these sins in his life.
Here's a story on covetousness/materialism. Read and ponder on this.
Yussif, the terrible Turk, was a 350-pound wrestler who two generations ago won the European wrestling championship and then came to this country (the US) seeking other continents to conquer. Here he found a wrestler named Strangler Lewis, who was the American champ. Yussif promptly challenged him to a contest for the world championship.
When the two wrestlers met, the Strangler found his great potent weapon - that of winding his mighty arm on his opponent's neck and pressing his bulging biceps on his Adam's apple until he collapsed from lack of oxygen - useless.
The Turk's neck was so huge he could not get his arm around it. Lewis tried hard to strangle Yussif but he simply would not cooperate.
Lewis weighed only 200 pounds and with his one weapon gone he was helpless. The Turk tossed the American champ around like a volleyball and won the bout.
Yussif won not only the crown, but along with that he received something of more practical value and much, much more to his liking - a purse of $5,000, his share of the gate receipts.
Yussif loved money and he loved to possess it in its most tangible form, so he demanded his pay in US gold, which he crammed into a money belt and strapped around his huge equator.
Thus attired in gloryland gold and he sailed on the S.S. Burgoyne.
Part way across the Atlantic, the Burgoyne sank. Yussif went over the side with his goldstill clasped around his body. The added weight was too much for even the Terrible Turk to keep afloat and before the sailors in the life boats could reach him, he plunged to the bottom like an anvil and was never seen again.