What comes to mind to me Newstart is that God tells us to be good stewards over what He gives. This seems to imply a thoughtful and prayerful way of going about using the resources He has provided.
I had never played the lottery or gambled before I met my husband (neither of us knew the Lord at the time). But I can remember the first time I did. I bought a ticket in a Powerball lottery. I did every religious thing you can imagine a person doing. I chose my numbers carefully, based on key birthdates and special days of my family members. I went and got one of those free real estate books that list homes for sale. I picked out the house I wanted, inserted my lotto ticket on that page, and said a prayer that I would win.
When I did not win, I was really disappointed. But after about 2 minutes I got rather angry. I wanted my dollar back!
I determined that if I ever met the real lottery winner, I would demand that he give me back my dollar. LOL
That was enough for me. How did people even consider this fun? I was losing money that I was working hard for and had nothing to show for it.
Yet for others, it is not that simple. They cannot just play a game because their hope is in that game. When anything begins to take the place of God in your life, that is idolatry and
that is sin. I have seen firsthand through my own family members the damage that can be done from gambling addictions.
We should also remember that this is all game. The gambling industry is designed to use false hope so that they can take your money. We may consider it entertainment, but for the folks behind it, this is
business. In other words, they can only make money by ensuring that you lose more than you win. I work too hard for every scrape of a dollar I get. I am not giving my money away to anyone to pad their pockets. ;D
On a smaller level, we often take our kids to the arcades when we are on a vacation. We give them each a little money so that they can play games, win tickets, and redeem those tickets for prizes. They love this. Could this be considered gambling? Perhaps. I can tell you that I feel no convictions about that. It is merely a form of entertainment for the kids; our hope is not in those games, but in the living God.
Could someone say gambling is a sin? Maybe in the broad sense that anytime we misuse or waste what God gives it is sinful. Other than that, I don't know of any specific prohibitions.
Some people may say it is wasteful/sinful to eat out, or to go to a football game, or to buy new clothes. You know my refrain: I wouldn't get legalistic about it. We should strive to do all things in the will of God and seek Him for guidance in every area.
Some things just shouldn't be done by some people because it is a weakness for them. Similar to alcohol. Some will say it is a sin to drink, but that is not true. We should not do things to excess, i.e. being drunk. But there is nothing wrong with drinking alcohol occasionally. Jesus certainly drank wine and it is even prescribed for its medicinal purposes by Paul. However, for those in whom this is a weakness, they should abstain.
I tell you, I could gamble today and it would mean
nothing to me. My husband and I choose not to gamble because we just don't believe that is how God wants us to spend our money. We don't want to leave anything to chance, but rather put it in God's hands. If God has taken time to bless us in any way, then we figure He has in mind a purpose for those gifts. So, we seek Him for what that purpose is.