Talents & Faith God's winning combination over Gambling

Football and gambling

Do not wear yourself out to get rich;    do not trust your own cleverness.  Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone,    for they will surely sprout wings    and fly off to the sky like an eagle.  Proverbs 23:4-5

 What is the obsession with gambling?  Is it the chance of risking money on a game or skill hoping to win?  Well isn’t that called luck?  People gamble or take chances on everything under the sun. It stands to reason many bets will be placed on Super Bowl 46 when the National Football League’s New England Patriots and New York Giants face off Sunday, February 5th. People have placed odds on: who is going to win or loose, the odds of heads over tails during the coin toss, or if Kelly Clarkston will sing longer than the allotted time for the National Anthem. What is the fascination of gambling?  There are all type of gamblers; high risk takers who get an adrenalin rush reaching for unobtainable dreams of Americana riches, glory and 15 minutes of fame, the poor man who beats the daily lottery or social gamblers who play a weekly hand of Tonk.  These Individuals spend a life time grasping for a money pie in the sky.  Citizens of America, you can’t beat the house! Casinos and state lotteries have it set where they are the winners not you. 

The risks of  gambling

With all being said the parable about talents come to mind where the king who gave talents or money to his servants Matt. 25:14-30 .  He gave a modest share to each ranging from 5 to 1 share.  It could be a fair assumption that these men where risk takers by investing their talents/monies in various ways. Let’s assume that some invested in real estate, continuing education/training of their talents mutual funds, stocks or bonds of the times.  And there was the sole servant who felt slighted cheated because he received only one talent.  Opposed to taking risks in any way he opted to bury or set it aside.  How many of us fall in to this category too afraid to take a chance, by stepping out in faith and seeking God?

The point I’m trying to make is there are people who gamble frivolously  with no other ambition but to get rich or hustle someone just as we also find the others  who seizes opportunity with their talents by manifesting and making them grow all for the glory and honor of God.  So much so their blessings are pressed down shaken and running over not only blessing themselves but others around.  Their store houses or bank accounts have great returns thus allowing them to bless others.  At the end of the day I truly believe if we nurture and grow the talents God has given each and everyone of us you to can rep a harvest.

Super Bowl 46, as a Cowboy fan it is hard for me to fix my mouth to say such blasphemy, however, I where a beating man, I would place my bet on the New York Giants.  Hey the odds are in my favor, New England has won all championships by three points and the Las Vegas has the Giants by three so by these odds I can only win.  - Tigner J.

Life has no Easy Buttons

Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize?  Run in such a way that you may obtain it.  1 Corinthians 9:24

 

Making no bones about it, we have been taught since being knee high to fire hydrants that the shortest distance between point A and B is to get there as fast as possible.  This means, taking the path of lest resistance, such as a straight line not going around the block to reach a goal or destination.   In business we often hear short cuts can lead to disasters, and much frustration.  Yet time and time again, society searches for quick fixes to riches, fame, weight loss, superficial beauty you name we want it now not tomorrow.   For many people who actually attempt to get in the trenches of life working through blood, sweat and tears find it unacceptable when whiners complain about how hard life is even though they never got off their lazy butts.  Their goal is to forever search for an Easy Button hoping some genie will pop out, making everything magically delicious!    

Over hearing a person vent about their life crisis, it prompted me to conger up this passage.  It also forced me analyze myself as an adult, my care free days are now some distant world only found in my mind, the teenage years of no fear have been replaced with doubt and worry and life is not a cake walk by no stretch of the imagination. These minute memories are like grains of sand slowly dropping through the hour glass, which finally awakens me from my zombie state realizing wow, at one point in life I was lethargic and desired the easy button too. 

The apostle Paul wrote in Corinthians, stay focused, win the prize and be prepared because the young believers of that time were led off track because they enjoyed the posh life, easy come easy go. Despite the carefree lifestyle, Paul continued to encourage the people to strive for a crown or prize by comparing life’s prize to a race in which all run but only one receives the trophy, run in such a way that you may obtain it Cor. 9:24-27.  

This race Paul speaks of is life, the one each of us run daily, the prize is life everlasting. No matter where you are right now in life there will be pitfalls, temptations, moments we want to give up and throw in the towel nevertheless we have to condition our minds, bodies, and spirits to endure this race until the end.  Like an athlete, we need to train ourselves for this marathon by reading, studying, learning as much as our mind body and soul can withstand.  This is a race for the kingdom of heaven as well as the race to accomplish God’s dreams, visions, and purpose He has bestowed each of us with.  

So what is the end result?  God gives us the victory through Jesus Christ learn to discipline yourself, pray with the spirit, pray for understanding and remember you really do have an easy button, just click it, Jesus is on the main line waiting for you to call! It’s just that easy.