Trapped
God asks us not to be slaves of anything, not to let ourselves be trapped.
16 JULY 2023 · 17:00 CET
OSCAR 'RINGO' BONAVENA was one of the best Argentinian (heavyweight) boxers.
He died in May 1965, he was shot when leaving a brothel in Reno (Nevada).
His murder was never solved. The only thing that can be said is that he was in a place where he shouldn't have been.
Many years ago, people spent almost all their time working: not because it was a pleasure for them, but because there were no other possibilities.
Nowadays, at least in the more developed countries and thanks to a better distribution of labour, people have more spare time.
But what starts out being something good, has become a problem for many people because they don't know what to do with the time they have left.
Thus many people have become trapped in gambling. Yes, gambling is an addiction, in the same way as drugs or alcohol can be.
Because of that, many people have returned to slavery: what starts as a simple entertainment (to insert some coins in a slot machine), ends up becoming a mental and economic nightmare for many people.
It doesn't matter if you have lots or very little money; the gambler uses up all he has. He might even bet his own life if necessary.
In fact, many people are doing this when they play Russian roulette and similar things.
All those who make chance games their god, can achieve such a high degree of slavery that their minds cannot think of anything else.
Their lives are completely taken over. Thousands of families are broken up when their father, mother, sons or daughters become gamblers, resulting in men and women who are deranged in their minds and in their personalities, people ruined by their obsession for gambling.
This includes all kinds of betting, and chance games like bingo, slot machines, lottery, etc.
The devil himself is behind it. If someone is enslaved, it's not important for Satan who is the owner.
The means do not interest him, if the end is death. But it is important for God.
He asks us not to be slaves of anything, not to let ourselves be trapped: make no mistake, playing with gambling is very dangerous.
Published in: Evangelical Focus - Finish Line - Trapped