Gambling: Sports Viagra
A stingy person hastens after wealth and does not know that poverty will come upon them. (Proverbs 28:22)
I was watching my Minnesota Vikings play on my computer. One of the commercials caught me by surprise. I am still shocked whenever I hear commercials for hard liquor and especially gambling. I believe it is a miserable sin the way the NFL has embraced gambling. It was actor Jamie Foxx, blowing up the screen with fireworks, talking about how, by using his gambling app, you can sit on the edge of your seat enjoying the game. It was at that moment that I realized how sad gambling has become.
I am horrified that the NFL has embraced gambling because we will never know to what extent the game decisions are potentially influenced by gambling. A few years ago, an NBA referee was busted for gambling and making calls based on his bets. Even worse, on a spiritual level, I was saddened by the commercial. Even during spring training, I sit on the edge of my seat. I get excited to see how the rookies are maturing, which veterans are in danger of being cut, and where we might need to get another team’s veteran before the first game of the regular season. My excitement is about the love of the game, which I learned from the time I was five years old when I purchased my first pack of football cards.
All addictions begin with a lie. The gambling lie is, “You will get more excitement out of the game if you gamble.” It isn’t significantly different from the alcoholic who tells themselves, “The only way I can relax is to drink a bottle of gin tonight.” “My life stinks, and the only way to feel great is with cocaine, heroin, or meth.” If you love a sport, and you are so darn numb inside that you need to flirt with losing large sums of money just to get excited, you need therapy. Gambling is sports Viagra.
The issue of gambling and other addictions is a spiritual issue because those turning these crutches struggle to feel. The Christian faith focuses on feeling. You are feeling the presence of the Holy Spirit, feeling compassion for the needs of God’s children and feeling the need to make a positive difference in the world around us. Pray for those so hurt, numb, or lost that they need harmful cravings just to feel any stimulation. Often, we tout drinking and gambling as “manly” activities, but there is nothing manly about being hurt, numb, or lost. It takes courage and discipline to face your feelings so you can make a lasting difference in your world.