First, a psychiatrist remarks that although these guidelines were helpful, general practitioners may need a little training as they tend to focus on the patients’ physical ailments than mental issues. In other words, the gambling habit is primarily a mental sickness. The Bible, however, goes deeper than that: It regards the state of a pathological gambler not only as a mental but more importantly as a spiritual sickness. That a pathological gambler’s problem is a deep seated problem having its roots at the mental and spiritual level is corroborated by some facts: The number of individuals issued with voluntary Self-Exclusion Orders into casinos stood at 3519 as of Dec 31 last year. This number dwarfs the number of people (297) who were prohibited by family members from entering the casino under the Family Exclusion Order. What this means is that this group of people feels that they are no longer able to repress themselves from entering a casino to gamble. They are, in biblical terms, enslaved by the gambling habit.
We need to understand that to put away sinful habits, we need to root it out at the spiritual level. Only Jesus can break the habit of sin. The Bible tells us that we human beings are slaves of sin. That is why we persist in sinful habits. We thank God that when Jesus died on the cross, He destroyed the power of sin. Thus, whoever receives Jesus as Saviour and Lord will be freed from the bondage to sin. That is why many Christians testify that they are able to have victory over sin. To overcome sin, you need to ensure obey spiritual rules and develop spiritual disciplines.
Second, researchers foresee that the number of gamblers whose gambling problem is casino gambling will increase because it is no longer necessary to travel outside of Singapore to engage in this form of gambling. The principle is that a person tends to sin when sinful recreations are easily available. Thus, the Bible wisely advises Christians to flee from sin (1 Cor 6:18; 1 Tim 6:11). If you want to live a holy life, you need to take responsibility by removing things or environments that will lead you to sin.
Third, there is evidence that younger pathological gamblers are seeking treatment in recent years. Researchers suggest that preventive measures should be directed during adolescence. In other words, to live a life free from a particular sin, the best thing to do is never to start it. Thus, God’s Word warns us to “stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” It means that we should stand firm and stay clear of sin. If not, we will be enslaved to sin.
If you are not a Christian, you need Jesus. He alone can free you from bondage to sin. Dear Christian, if Jesus is your Saviour, you are definitely capable of living a holy life: Ask Jesus for help. Cut off all roads that lead to sin and flee from sin so that you do not start that bad habit. Then, when your life is holy and pleasing to God, you will enjoy God’s many blessings and His peace that surpasses understanding.