(John Piper) Americans now spend more than $70 billion dollars annually on lotteries. That’s more than the combined spending on books, video games, and movie and sporting-event tickets. Lotteries are legal in 43 states. “That’s more than $230 for every man, woman and child in those states—or $300 for each adult,” reports The Atlantic.
I agree with the report that this is a great shame on our nation. From time to time, the Powerball or Mega Millions lotteries rise to unusually high numbers and get fresh attention in the news. Here are seven reasons, among others, I have often rehearsed to make the case that you should not gamble with your money in this way.
1. It is spiritually suicidal.
“But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and harmful lusts, which drown men in ruin and destruction. … and pierced themselves through with many sorrows” (1 Tim. 6:9-10).
2. It is a kind of embezzlement.
Managers don’t gamble with their Master’s money. All you have belongs to God. All of it. Faithful trustees may not gamble with a trust fund. They have no right. The parable of the talents says Jesus will take account of how we handled his money. They went and worked (Matt. 25:16-17). That is how we seek to provide for ourselves (1 Cor. 4:12; 1 Thess. 4:11; Eph. 4:28). CONTINUE
