* Look at how gambling
harms people not just by stealing their money, but also by alienating
them from friends and family, exhausting them emotionally and distorting
their perspectives on reality. Gambling can also lead to compulsions
that fuel a host of other problems, such as drinking, smoking, sexual
promiscuity and crime. Unlike the glamorization of gambling by Hollywood
such as James Bond and Martin Scorsese’s Casino, you don’t have all
the cards and when the chips are down, Sharon Stone or Robert DeNiro
won’t be there for you.
* No matter what
you’re seeking, gambling won’t deliver for you, only God will. If
you’re seeking thrills, try worshipping God. There’s no high like
the Most High. Try a close encounter of the God kind through the Holy
Spirit, prayer, church, or meditating on the Word day and night. If
you’re looking for security, you can bet that you won’t get it from
Social Insecurity. God is your ace in the hole, ask Him to provide,
trust Him, and experience His blessings. God, the ultimate source
of everything you need, is truly reliable unlike gambling. God will
stack the deck in your favor and put you in the catbird seat. If you’re
seeking affirmation, you’ll find it not by competing, but by serving
others with love and enjoying their fellowship.
* Realize that all
forms of gambling encourage you to seek control through money rather
than seeking God’s guidance and power for your life. Even if you gamble
just once in a while, you’re not fully trusting God, and you’re blocking
many of His blessings. You are to master your money, use it for the
glory of God and not let your money master you. Play your cards right,
you can’t serve God and money but you can serve God with money.
* Evaluate how and
why you’re gambling. Confess your gambling and ask the Holy Spirit
to renew your spirit so you’ll have the grace you need to stop. Ask
God to give you a vision of how your life would improve if you stopped
gambling. Use the money instead for tithing or sowing into the rich
ground of God’s anointed ministries that are preaching the gospel
and see how the hundredfold blessings of God will literally chase
after you.
* If gambling has
devastated your finances, seek counseling from a financial advisor,
such as the local branch of the Consumer Credit Counseling Service.
You may want to transfer control of your money to someone you trust
until you feel confident enough to regain control. Keep track of how
much time you spend thinking about gambling, record your thoughts
and bind those demonic thoughts in the Name of Jesus.
* Stay focused on
the hope of glory that God offers you – real, living hope, not
Ryan’s Hope, that will help you through the process of breaking gambling’s
power in your life. Relinquish control of your life to God, be patient
and courageous as you experience God’s transforming power in your
life. Don’t be like Kenny Rogers, you’ve got to know not to hold them,
so you don’t have to fold them, and then just walk away.