Rolling Dice, Spinning Wheels, Drawing Cards

Last evening our church held a "Game Night", a regular event for the congregation. Having recently joined this church, this was my first opportunity to attend one. Food and drink were available as were a multitude of games. Attendees would pick out various board games, so there were multiple activities unfolding at the same time. Some played chess or Yahtzee or Life and so forth. Not being much of a gamer, I merely watched (though I considered playing a game of chess). I have absolutely nothing against participating in such games and, in the past, have played some of these same games with my friends and family. It was a fun time of fellowship even while sitting on the sidelines and I look forward to the next one.

As noted above, rolling dice and drawing cards are not, in themselves, sinful. But, when one adds wagers to such activities, they take on a different role. Over twenty-five years ago, the voters in my area approved a riverboat casino where dice are rolled, cards thrown, and slot handles pulled. How many have destroyed their families and their lives by participating in such activities since then?

Add to the casino the availability of lottery tickets. Often, you enter a gas station to pay for your gas and find yourself waiting in a line of people purchasing such tickets. How much money have so many thrown away? Again, how many families and lives have been wounded or ruined?

I was in a church once when a child was asked where his parents were on a given Sunday (her father was a deacon). The child replied she was staying with relatives that weekend because her parents went to Las Vegas to gamble. Unfortunately, gambling has even been accepted by some in the church. Our spiritual ancestors would roll over in their grave!

Augustine:  "The devil invented gambling." John Calvin had gambling outlawed in Geneva. And Martin Luther?

"Money won by gambling is not won without sin and self-seeking sin."

Playing board games for fun and fellowship is great. Playing any game (or sport) for money is sin. If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, I call upon you to search the Scriptures and see what God has said about gambling. If you want to throw away money, give it to the church or some Christian mission.