‘Just one more try – I’m due for a win’. Words spoken by many a gambler this week.
Whether it’s the lure of the high street betting shop or the secret flutter online, there are approximately 350,000 gambling addicts in the UK today. Many others gamble at lower levels: on horses, football, bingo or elections. Some of these people are in our churches, some living down our streets. Most keep the true extent of their losses (of money and time) hidden from their family and friends.
What’s the attraction?
People turn to gambling for many reasons. For some it’s the thought of quick cash. There might be debts to pay – or the ‘need’ to find creative ways of providing for the family. For others it’s escapism – the chance to leave the real world with all its stress and enter a place full of possibilities and dreams.
For still others it’s the community they meet – real bonding takes place as games progress. Maybe, at home, they’re lonely or estranged – online they can be part of something where affirmation flows.
For most, alcohol plays its part – it lowers inhibitions, makes people less aware of risk. No surprise then that 50% of gambling addicts also struggle with drink.
Devastating effects
The effects can be devastating: spiralling debt, a lifestyle of deceit, marital breakdown and loss of friends. Christians report they find it almost impossible to pray after their latest flutter: feelings of guilt piling up after every loss and fantasies of self-sufficient elation clouding the occasional win. But, at church, they look no different to anyone else. Pastors, small group leaders, children’s work helpers and musicians have all fallen foul to this particular facet of our broken world.
Like many struggles, gambling thrives in secret, but if all people hear on Sunday is ‘don’t gamble’ they’re unlikely to bring it into the light. Far better to raise awareness and create a culture where we acknowledge that we’re all rebels in need of grace (Romans 3.23). In humility we can assert that we too know what it is to be trapped in sin and offer to walk alongside those who seek to break free.
Having the conversation
Once the conversation has begun, and we have heard their situation well, there will need to be some comfort. It is likely that hard things have nudged them towards sin. Are they lonely? Let words of God’s presence and love flow (Psalm 139). Are they stressed? Let’s speak of God as a refuge, an ever-present help (Psalm 46). Are they in debt? What practical assistance can the church provide? Maybe not cash, but debt counselling and vouchers for food can help.
Next, we can speak of the identity of God and our identity as his precious children. Few will run to the Lord if they see him as a distant judge, but a loving Father is easier to approach. Few will change if they see the Lord as small, but an omnipotent King cannot be ignored. Not many will think transformation possible if they see themselves as an outcast, but hope becomes real as they see their connection and call (Colossians 3).
For those whose betting is out of control, repentance will be key. Not just of the behaviour though, of the desires beneath. What are they wanting more than God? Love of money? The idol of experience? A longing for self-rule? The message of grace can follow swiftly on. Those who turn to the Lord are washed whiter than snow (Psalm 51). There is no reluctance on God’s part to forgive and keep on forgiving in the face of relapse.
And with those building blocks in place, there is real hope for the future. As people turn more to the Lord for comfort they will escape less online. As they have deeper friendships of trust in church (Hebrews 10.24) their betting shop buddies will hold less sway. As they find contentment in the Saviour who brings life in all its fullness (John 10.10) there will be less drive to create excitement through luck.
Combine those truths with accountability partnerships, prayer and the call to seek first the Kingdom of God, then there is no reason why anyone who is gambling can’t increasingly glorify God.
