It’s Spring Racing Carnival time in Australia, and we know that because we are being inundated daily with horse-racing promotions and gambling advertising.
I was once a gambler and the Spring Racing Carnival, in particular the Melbourne Cup, used to be my favourite time of the year. It was a time to get dressed up in my best suit, favourite shirt, cufflinks and tie, and spend money I couldn’t afford to spend. A time for gambling, catching up with family and friends and drinking way too much alcohol.
This was my life for nearly 25 years. Some years I would even take annual leave so I could attend as many race days as possible. I thought it was the ultimate way to enjoy life. Most of my friends gambled. So there was also a lot of peer group pressure to gamble more. I wanted to fit in. It was Australian.
For me, there were some good wins at times, but mostly a lot of bad losses. Towards the end I started to spend money I couldn’t afford to lose. Whether I won or lost started to determine my feelings. A win would make me happy and a loss would make me depressed and at times angry. Little did I know that gambling had a hold on me.
Sadly we hear too many stories today of people who have a gambling addiction and have lost all of their money and at times, their family’s money. In fact, recent statistics show that Australians gambled almost $210 billion in one year. And almost seven million people are regular gamblers either on horse racing, pokies, tattslotto, at casinos, or sporting events.
The social problems that arise from gambling are wide-ranging and include family and relationship issues, emotional and psychological issues (anxiety, stress, depression and suicide), financial hardship, loss of productivity at work and even crime.
How did I escape this hold that gambling had on me? It was nothing that I did. It was not human logic. It was God’s grace. It was Jesus’ death on the cross.
For me change didn’t happen instantly, but slowly. The Lord brought the right people across my path at the right time and I began to read the Bible, and God put a passion in my heart for His Word. The passage of 2 Corinthians 5:17-19 was powerful – Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.
Slowly gambling lost its grip on me. It was no longer a passion for me. Yes, I still have to be careful with which people I spend time with, as I am potentially still weak in that area. But I am forever thankful that gambling doesn’t have a hold on me. Now at this time of the year I can happily show an interest, but I am no longer compelled to place a bet.
All glory to God.
Further reflection: Romans 6:1-14.
While gambling may not be a problem for you, why not reflect on what Jesus has done for you on the cross and perhaps hand over areas of your life that are still a weakness. And above all, give thanks to God for where He has taken you from.
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