Gamblers' Beware

A Following The Way Testimony

Part 1: The gambling bug sneaks up

What that meant was, having a bit of a flutter on a "one-armed bandit" or poker machine.

I was always able to go into a club with no more than $5 or a few coins, have a bit of fun and then when all that amount that I had allocated for that time had run out, then I would leave and was content in that. This would happen only about three or four times in a year. So this was for about thirty years.

Then in January, 1999 I received news that my 75 year old mother was very ill (we were not living in the same town) and was in hospital. Everyone was shocked as she was a woman of independent means, and spent her days playing tennis, shopping, visiting friends and then a lot of time in the clubs playing on the poker machines. On the odd occasion I had seen my mum in action and I really disapproved of how much money she was putting into those machines and the number of hours she spent in front of those machines. But now here she was with a brain tumour awaiting an operation. Well as it turns out, the doctors were not able to extract all the tumour and mum passed away a few months later early in April.

I went through the natural grieving period and after a while I found myself renewing my membership at the local club and just going in for an hour or so. In the back of my mind I would be thinking that if mum were alive now she would be in a club just like this. It was as though I was continuing on where mum had left off.

As a matter of fact, I saw a large number of senior folk sitting for hours in front of those machines each day. Some spend all of their pension money in there instead of on food etc. for themselves.

Of course, I was still only allowing myself $5 at a time and playing only on the 1c machines and only going there once or twice a week for a short while. But one day, I won $100 on a 1c machine and that is when I really started getting "hooked." Can you see how subtle satan works? All addictions start out so small scale, so innocent. And you may say, that as a Christian, I should not have been in there anyway. Yes that is true, but every now and then, we do veer off "the path" or need some form of "escapism" when we are going through a "rough patch". Different people turn to different things such as alcohol, cigarettes, drugs whatever, instead of turning to God.

Part 2: Why am I not winning?

Well I wanted to know what they did. How come they always seemed to get the jackpots and I didn’t?

So I decided to watch some of them. I thought maybe I could learn a few "strategies" even. Did these people have a special way of hitting the buttons perhaps? Was it a matter of play high, win big?

I noticed that a husband and wife team seemed to be in the club whenever I was and ALWAYS walked out with lots of dollars and a big smile on their dials.

All the while that I was trying for the "big one" I would have days where I had put just a little too much money in than what I had planned and found myself going home totally dejected and feeling just so bad inside.

But a few days later when I had gotten myself back together, I was able to go back for another round. Then it would happen all over again and I would be driving home once more wondering what on earth am I doing. What was happening to me? Deep down I knew I was sinning against God. I was relying on satan for my increase. I was relying on him for my prosperity. Furthermore, any monies I was spending in there, meant that somewhere along the line, certain items that we were planning to buy, we wouldn’t be able to afford now. So I also felt really horrible about that. Even though I knew that I just had to keep going back again after a few days. I just was too much in the "grip" by now. I was ready for yet another challenge.

This went on for a few months and then one day I decided I had had enough of the sadness, depression and the loss of money etc that I prayed to God that I did not want to live like this any more and honestly believed it to the point that I went to my husband, who by the way, had no knowledge of all my visits to the clubs, and I told him that I had had a "breakthrough" in my life. I couldn’t tell him all the details only just that I had a breakthrough. My husband told me that he was very happy for me.

Part 3: It gets worse...

I still hadn’t learnt my lesson.

God could see that it was going to take something "drastic" to get through to me.

In the meantime, I was praying to God to help me. I didn’t know why I had this silly urge to keep going back and getting hurt all the time.

Some weeks later, my son came up for the week-end to visit again and persuaded me to go to a different club this time.

We went there on the condition that we would only be spending $50 maximum to which we both agreed.

Then the usual story. We lost that very quickly and decided that it was too early in the day to quit, so over to the ATM we went. All the clubs have them installed now making it super easy for anyone to keep going over and getting out more and more of their savings. If the ATM’s were not in there then I feel certain that we would have walked out there and then and not have gone back. But it was all too easy.

There we stayed for another couple of hours by which time lots of dollars had been lost by both of us.

Again we both left feeling totally sorry for ourselves and miserable. We hated being beaten.

So that night my son suggested that we go to our usual local club to try and recoup our losses. Like a fool, I found myself agreeing and going. So I got onto a machine and with some of those if you put a certain amount of money into them, you feel that sooner or later it has GOT to pay out. But that night, this machine that I was on was not paying out and I became more and more determined that it would and I was not going to leave until it did. Yes, that club has an ATM also and over and over I went getting out money from my account that I always said I would not touch.

Part 4: The turning point as I hit bottom...

After the last visit to the ATM I looked at the balance and then reality suddenly hit me. The shock of it all went right to my inner core.

My son and I then left and we were both very much in a big valley of depression. What a bad example for a mother to set before her own son.

However, that was the big turning point. Right there. That was my real breakthrough. That was the night I had victory over satan.

I got down and prayed to God to forgive me and to please help me as I had been so weak and to please rid me of my addiction.

I realized at that point that I suddenly had a problem with gambling and hadn’t realized until that night.

But even in my prayers, the thought of NEVER going in there again and the thought that the big jackpot could be just waiting for me just around the corner. I asked God about that and this is what He said back to me that night.

He said:
"Yes you will have some wins if you go back again but ALL the blessings that I have in store for you are far, far greater than anything that satan can offer you."

That did it for me. That was it. No more was I going to fill the coffers of satan. No more was I going to waste countless hours in front of a machine. No way was I going to disobey God and miss out on any blessings from Him.

So I went again to my husband and told him what had been going on and that I was now totally cured and what the Lord had told me.

He was very supportive and very happy for me.

I also told my son and he was happy for me too and that he was fed up with his involvement in the clubs as well.

From that day to this I have not been on a poker machine. On the odd occasions I might get a slight urge but I only have to remind myself of God’s promise to me and all temptations flee.

Part 5: Helping others...

I just thank the Lord for answering my prayers even though my "gambling" experience was brief and costly, I urge you to reach out to God and He WILL meet you halfway if you are willing to change for the better.

You have to be strong or He will bring you to a point where you WILL cry out to Him.

Don’t let this go on. Make a decision to STOP right now. Don’t let satan have the victory over your life.

You have the power to change your life or you can email me and I shall pray for you.

Praise you Lord!

If you are facing problems associated with gambling and want to make change in your life, I would like to assist by praying for you. Please send your prayer request to me at gethelp@livingconnections.com

Recommended other site:www.geocities.com/addiction_etc/