Gambling.

I had a business partner that I was in business with for 10 years. We both have our own A/C and Heating business, but we decided to merge 10 years ago, it's been a great business relationship, until I just could not longer deal with his gambling habits. I'm not looking for any justification here, I feel good about the break, but he say's there is no where in the word that say's anything about gambling. Mind you, he has been in the Church all his life, he divorced early in life because his X wanted children and he didn't, he is now 68 and a great person, but his gambling habit I just could not deal with anymore.

We just split in the past 3 weeks, it was a good breakup, I thought, but he has not made any effort to contact me at all, to even see if I'm still alive, and I have not made any effort to contact him, should I? You know, I know there are plenty Christians out there that Gamble, but I have never been a Gambler, so I can't relate, but he went often, sometimes twice a week. I just was not happy being affiliated with this person anymore, I did not think it was good for business, because some of our customers knew he Gambled, but did not know the extent of his habit. I say habit, I really don't know what justifies a habit, once a week, once a month etc. I feel good about the split and have not had any second thoughts. I just was looking here maybe for some clarity.

Thanks
Mr. Bill

Good question about gambling. People say it is wrong to gamble because it is not being a good steward and it can lead to impulsive behavior. They say a dollar spent to gamble could have been placed in the offering plate.

Many people gamble simply because it is fun. They are not addicted. They like the thrill of it and they are able to quit when they want. I don't see this type of person as any different from a person who spends money on any other form of entertainment, such as an amusement park or sporting event. That money could also have been placed in the offering plate.

I personally don't see gambling as a sin per se. It may be for some people, but not all.

I would not break fellowship with this person over this issue, especially since you are no longer business partners.

Todd, I don't want to break the friendship, and hopefully he just still has the deer in the headlights look, as we just split recently. I was skeptical on posting here, I know this probably hits close to home for a lot of Christians. My old pastor many years ago, used to tell us, I don't care if you gamble, as long as you tithe, I really took it as a joke at that time, but maybe is was deeper than I realized. Like you, I have always heard we're suppose to be good stewards of God's money, but there is no simple to understand scripture that really nails it that well.

You can't unscramble an egg or unring a bell. What is done is done. I am not sure if you expected your partner to be friendly after the split, even if he put a smiling face on the departure. He probably does not understand your thinking even though I am sure you explained it to him.

I was partners with another attorney. We got along fine. Next thing I know, I am told he wants me gone, and he did it in a very harsh and personal way. It was a good thing, a God thing, but it felt rotten and made no sense. Years later, he tried to get me to rejoin with him, as if none of the earlier stuff had happened. Yeah, right, no thanks. He had issues, too--gambling would have been a step up for him.

I plan to never have a law partner again. We are a crazy lot. 😀

I don't know how it all played out with you and your partner. I was in another business with my own brother with whom I have always been extremely close. (He is my only full blood sibling out of 8 siblings from our parents' many marriages.) Very successful business. Loved doing it, it was a real second job, lot of work, but enjoyable. Then, my brother made some personal choices and, like you, I decided to get out. My brother's choices -- not the business departure -- have all but buried our relationship since.
I feel the loss of that relationship, but it was worth losing in several ways.
I am content with the consequences, and there is not much I can do about it anyway.

Find contentment in the Lord about it. Gamblers usually carry loads of unseen baggage, and it often burdens the business partners and families. Maybe your timing is perfect and God's direction.

Is gambling always sinful? I do not see it so biblically, but there is not much I dislike more than being in a casino. Pure exploitation on many levels. I stay away from it.

Brother Tim,
Those are words of wisdom!
The Lord bless you.

I believe Gambling is a sin. I always thought so. I have never gambled myself.

One primary reason for being a sin is, it is very addictive. One might gamble frequently and then not lose all his money yet. This does not mean that such a person is not an addict. Just because a person can stop or take back his money whenever he wanted, does not prove he is not an addict. It only proves that he is a clever gambler who does not get carried away with a series of win and lose all his money. But he still is addicted.

If your friend cannot give up the habit for the sake of keeping your fellowship and business then he is obviously addict. Paul says that all things are legal to me but I will be dominated by none.

Gambling is a bad way to make money (or lose it). I do not believe a Christian should Gamble or even lend money on loan. Both are equally bad because they can ruin the life of another person. See if a person wins in gambling he is actually taking money out of another person who is getting poor. How is it different from stealing or robbing?

Bible says bad company corrupts good morals. Hence it is good that you cut his company.

I agree that gambling has nothing good going for it. I just don't think it's a "strict liability" sin.

The feedback so for has been great. Would we all agree that someone or most folks that gamble, "might" have a love of money? This is were only God knows, because only God knows our hearts right? I guess sometimes we all have to make decisions "especially in business" that that may not be sin, but because it's just not healthy for a business.

His gambling "I won't say habit because I don't know what justifies a habit" has really eat at me for a long time, I even get some bad feedback from a couple general contractors we do work for, they don't like it. As for as I know, we have never lost a job that were we had already made contact with the customer and lost it, due to his gambling. Have we lost one due to his gambling, before we made contact with a customer, only God would know that.

Maybe this might be a good question. Why am I so against it? The guy brought about 30% to the table, so it had increased my business, but I was doing just fine with the lifestyle I was living before we even met. It wasn't the money I needed, as much as was his help in some aspects of the business. He was more the salesman and the estimator, and I was the tech, so it did free me up to make more service calls, because I did not have to stop to write up proposals or make sales.

Again, I guess the big question here is, why did his gambling seem to keep me beat down some mentally? It seemed to always concern me that a future customer might know, because 100% of our business was referrals, as together we had over 70 years in this business, about 35 years each. I guess as Christians we always try and find Biblical reasons to justify most of our decisions, and to me that's a great start. I also feel God wants us to use our God given wisdom to make decisions also, and as Christians, if we don't feel good about it, that should tell us something.

Marmc, as I do agree with you and respect you as for as your opinion of folks that gamble. I just hope we can focus more on my original post, before we get off into personal beliefs/attacks, before this thread implodes. This is something that is very important to me, that I come here looking for some clarity on, and I really need folks to help me by staying focused on my original post.

God Bless
Brother Bill

Marcmc-

Is watching TV and movies a sin? Arguably far more families have been destroyed as a result of these media than will ever be destroyed by gambling.

I am just saying that in every instance gambling may not be a sin. What if I buy a raffle ticket for a fund raiser with a good cause?

TMK.....What if I buy a raffle ticket for a fund raiser with a good cause?

I think what Marmac was saying sin or not, was in his travels through the Christian experience, no one has even condoned gambling, I'm in the same boat.

I wished God would have been a little clearer on this, this is the best scripture I could find.

I Peter 1:16 "Be holy, for I am holy."
"Be Holy" Two simple words that make us accountable to God for our thoughts, attitudes, deeds and actions.

Julius, definitely not a raffle ticket problem. He was a what I would call a hard core gambler, I told him once he should just buy him a condo in Louisiana. Nothing phased him, no remarks I made would he even acknowledge, he focused on his sales and looked forward to the trips to the casinos.

Brother Bill,
Would you say the primary business you parted ways was because it looked bad for business?
If that is so, I wouldn't blame you. It is only reasonable if you were trying to be a good steward of the joint business.
1 Corinthians 5:11 comes to mind.

It is also reasonable that he's not feeling particularly warm towards you now. I wouldn't give up though. I would just pray for him until such a time as the Lord restores fellowship between the both of you. Besides, who knows whether the Lord may use this separation as a painful stimulus to help this brother out of his gambling problem?

Brother Julius, the beauty of reference books is that they contain information that may be otherwise not available to the uninitiated. They serve a very useful purpose.

Gambling houses are established solely to make money for the owners. If clients make money, it is happenstance.

Bill-

I have never been around Christians that condone gambling either. I certainly don't condone it.

There are many gray areas in Christian life. Gambling is far along the path towards totally black.

But we might say the same thing about many areas, particularly those that deal with entertainment.

Will I be sinning when I watch the football game tonite? After all, I could use that time praying or reading my bible. In fact I could be doing that instead of typing this!

I am thankful, Bill, that you care about your old partner. Keep him in prayer. You never know what might happen tomorrow or next year with him. Its a roll of the dice. 😉

Todd, your sin or not tonight may depend on who you are for. 😀 Just sayin'.

Theophila....Brother Bill,
Would you say the primary business you parted ways was because it looked bad for business?
If that is so, I wouldn't blame you. It is only reasonable if you were trying to be a good steward of the joint business.
1 Corinthians 5:11 comes to mind.

Yes! totally because of business, we never socialized together much beyond the business. I always had to wonder if this customer we were referred to, knew that he was a gambler, and some did, and it just did not bother them, I guess because that customer condoned it. My Grandpa use to tell me, you hang around with a thief, you may become a thief, hang with a liar, you may become a liar, and etc. No I never would have become a gambler, but I wasn't going to wait around to see.

Evil communication does corrupt good manners...can't exactly recall where that bit of Scripture is now.

If the Lord leads you to pray for him, do....the Lord does work in mysterious ways His wonders to perform.

Peace to you...

Quote: "TMK, I have never encountered a gray area when the Holy Spirit is invited in. Your questions belie your air of wisdom, and relationship with the Holy Spirit."

Talk about the pot calling the kettle black.

I was obviously talking in general terms. The involvement of the HS is EXACTLY why there are gray areas. He convicts some, but not others over various issues. Isn't that obvious?

For some reason I was brought to this scripture today.

Matthew 3:12 "His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."

Just in case things here do get a little side tracked, I sincerely appreciate the feedback I have received. Please remember, this has not been an easy decision for me, but I know with God and time, I will heal, and move forward to the new open doors he has waiting. God had to have me to close this door first, as I believe he will not keep us from our free will. I feel good about the decision, it feels as thought two bags of concrete have been lifted off my shoulders. I had no idea it might end our friendship, but money has weird ways of doing that, as many have said, I need to keep him in my prayers. When God has us make moves in life, it's not always just for our good, but to work things out things in others lives also. My X partner is a very frugal individual, really beyond frugal, "I'll leave it to your imagination to what the world might call him".

I've never seen a generous side to him, I always mostly bought lunch and Blessed him with a gift on his Birthdays, etc. I never saw that in return, but I'm ok with that, I don't want to be labeled a conditional giver. I would hope and pray by my leaving, it might diminish his wanting to gamble more, but with his income being less, he might try to supplement it, with more gambling trips, only God knows.

As I've said before this has been really hard decision for me, not because of anything to do with money, I live real modest, and I'm a very content person, I have $900.00 a month worth of bill's, so money is not the factor at all, losing a friendship had more to do with it. After much prayer I made the decision I made in peace, and I feel a peace about it. Again, thanks so much for the feedback, I will continue to monitor this thread and others here, I just don't need to get caught up into any "opinion's" debates, as I'm still a wounder soldier over this.

Thanks!
Mr. Bill

Julius-

My question regarding the football game was rhetorical- I.e. I wasn't looking for an answer. I was simply trying to make a point, namely that what's a sin is not always black and white.

Bill- I encourage you to keep your doors open to your associate- he might need to lean on you some day.

Thanks Todd, I never burn bridges in life.

Brother,
The Lord sees your pain.
Even when we do that which is right, it may still hurt/sting for a spell.
May the Balm of Gilead heal your soul.

As my brethren like to say, 'It is well with you'

I'm speechless! Tommy's testimony brought me to tears, this is why our testimonies are such a powerful witnessing tool. I have a powerful testimony also, after loosing a wife of 40 years, a 19 year old son to suicide, and a triple bypass on Feb.7th this year. I know when God totally heals me from the bypass, my testimonial journey will begin, I can't wait.

Praise Jesus!

Thanks to everyone! 800 views---32 Replies, seems like not many folks want to address gambling.

God Bless
Mr. Bill

I have never been to a casino and do not plan to go. We have one nearby operated by the Band of Choctaw Indians. They do a brisk business.

In our area are bus companies that will take loads of people to the casino on a regular basis. Gambling is a popular sport in east MS, maybe next to football? Just guessing.

What did it do to the community? It is still mired in poverty; it still attracts people on the lower rung of the economic ladder - and gambling assures they will stay there. People have lost businesses, homes because of gambling debts.

If you want to discuss financial investments the only ones who benefit are the owners of the casino - all done at the expense of losers. Sure, there are some winners but it comes at the expense of losers.

Doesn't sound like God's way of blessing people at the sweat of their brow - working to create, being productive, does it?

My opinion.

BTW, we are in the Bible Belt where a lot of people know what the Bible says but have choosen to ignore it.

Sandra

Sandra, my Dad used to say, they did not build those places on winners.

Bill, your dad is correct. Our area has seen a rise in embezzling by public servants due to gambling debts.

The tactics the casinos use to rope people in is brilliant but the results are tragic. Someone who has been there says the atmosphere feels evil...doesn't sound holy, does it?

Sandra