i am a gambling addict for the past 3 years. i want to be free! i have already quit for the past 3 months already and circumstances push me back to this old vice. please help me.
Hi Michael,
perhaps a little interesting because I have been translating for a gambling therapy website: www.gamblingtherapy.org. If you speak English at least you’ll get a quick response. Having translated for them I’ve read some of their responses and they seemed practical. Perhaps you could approach them and they could help you. Otherwise, I look at gambling like a temptation. We are all tempted in different ways. With some it may be drugs, with others infidelity and sex, others may feel rage and cannot prevent themselves from violence. It is all bad and mostly a product of our separation and drifting away from God. If we drift away from God, perhaps to the point in not believing in him at all, what else is there left in life? The vain attempt at satisfying our temptations, but which do not satisfy our soul. Even if you won a million dollars, I think a gambler would not be satisfied unless they gambled the million in the hopes of gaining more, and that is why they will never save up money, because they are not prudent. It is the rush of the gamble itself, and setting aside some money as a sound backup is not interesting. It is sort of like a total bohemian lifestyle, with no responsibility, but with a strong added element of compulsion. I still struggle with my own temptations and I am certain I will to the end of my days, but what helps me is to focus on God and purpose, try to understand the futility of satisfying my temptations, and slowly move away from it. Perhaps ask for the Spirit to help. Or I pray a lot and over time I gain understanding and wisdom. If you are not a believer I think it will be more difficult for you. I can compare it to a fly flying away from darkness because of some bad experience, but only sees darkness where it is going. So what’s the point of flying at all? But if you see a light at the end of the tunnel, that at least gives you hope, direction and vision.
Are you a believer?
Karel
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hi karel! thanks foir being God’s angel to me. I have been so desperate already. I want to live a peaceful and comfortable life. Your advice i have read made me realize that there is still hope to redeeem myself.
everyone is redeemable and that is the power of God’s love, which equals his grace, forgiveness, and others’ salvation. We are all “prone to decay”, as the bible says. Or as the bible says, “What is impossible for people is possible with God”. So if you place your faith in him, ask him for help, depend on him, pray, meditate and try, I believe you should be able to overcome any temptation or weakness. But practical help is also important, or to have a support group. Or perhaps if you got involved in a charity and helped suffering people, you would develop compassion for people much worse off than yourself, it would give you something rewarding to do with your time, such that even if you were idle and standing in front of a betting machine, your thoughts would be filled with the suffering people and you would feel too guilty to spend your money on something which is so wasteful. You could try different strategies, but where there is a will, there is always a way!