A goal of mine is to end the widespread denial through Christianity. We will sin and convince ourselves that we are justified in our sin, or we will just forget that it is a sin altogether. We will redefine 'sin', or even redefine God to fit our desires.
There are elements of the world which can imprison us with ease. They will take something that our naturalistic side finds appealing and dangle it just outside of our reach. Strip clubs offer some lustful fulfillment. Cigarettes have us chasing a state of relaxation which they cannot bring. They lottery shows us a treasure chest and tells us how often people win.
I recently spoke to a woman who plays the lottery regularly. I asked her if she would encourage or discourage her children from playing the lottery. Her answer indicated the psychological prison that the lottery has put her in. "Encourage, why not? It is a chance to win free money."
People who play the lottery have a tendency to believe that they are watering a garden, and that someday, there will be a harvest. However it is rather confusing to me that a Christian can allow themselves to be consumed in such a concept. It is my opinion that until a man stops lusting after and chasing riches, he is not ready to handle them.
But is not always the allure of the big bucks that maintains this addiction. Many, if not all lottery addicts believe that they have profited from the lottery.
Why should this happen? People are rational, calculating, level-headed, right?
If people have an existing belief about any aspect of the world, they will forget all information that contradicts it. They will recalculate their odds based on this false memory, and based on false logic such as "it's overdue!" Doubtless, if you know somebody who plays the lottery, this is not an unfamiliar term to you. The cold, hard reality though is that the 10,000:1 odds apply every single day, regardless of the amount of time since your last win. Nobody is guaranteed a win once every year, or even once every decade.
If you take the absolute best lottery odds, 1,000:1 on the 'Numbers' (Source), the odds of winning are .001%. No matter how many times you repeat such a process, the odds are exactly the same every day. To suggest that you have actually turned a profit on this basis is tantamount to suggesting that you have been struck by lightning at least once every week.
The percent chance of winning the big bucks are .0000000629% which most mathematicians would agree, I think, is essentially 0%. Which is why I believe that the lottery is a scam. However, even if I am wrong and people really do win hundreds of millions of dollars, it is not worth chasing. The journey is a psychological prison. I strongly advice every reader, Christian or not, to forget the lottery.
Here are some Bible verses about the lottery:
Psalms 23:1
The Lord is my Shepard, I shall not want.
1 Timothy 6:10
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.
Proverbs 13:11
Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it.
Hebrews 13:5
Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Galatians 5:16
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.
Colossians 3:5
Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
2 Timothy 2:22
So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.
To read more of my articles, go to my Christian Articles section by clicking here