We picked up a "Know Your Limits" pamphlet on our last tournament day. A "Responsible Gambling Alliance" publishes it, as well as other literature. It includes three warning signs that you could be at risk of a possible "gambling problem"....
1. Have you ever tried to stop, cut down or control your gambling?
As much as we oppose gambling addiction, this strikes us as an unfair question. Aren't people who never darken the doors of a poker room or casino trying to "control" their gambling, by not doing it at all? In fact....
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. - Galatians 5:22-23
The apostle Paul wrote a good bit about "self-control". Yet there's a catch - he also called it s "fruit of the Spirit." In other words, it comes from the Holy Spirit dwelling in you. So self-control isn't ultimately self-based at all.
The King James Version may word it better: "temperance." Some Bible commentaries explain that word as meaning "the virtue of one who masters his desires and passions, especially his sensual appetites."
People with eating disorders don't "master the desire" by not eating. In fact, that's a disorder in itself. It's all about doing things in a balanced way:
Let your moderation be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. - Philippians 4:5 (KJV)The Greek word for "moderation" can also mean being patient or gentle. Those also are fruits of the Holy Spirit, as listed above.
To be clear: we're against poker players becoming addictive or "problem gamblers." But we also do not think trying to "control" the interest is a sign of a disorder. It could be a sign of the Holy Spirit at work in a believer's life. We'll address the pamphlet's other "warning signs" in upcoming posts.
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