“Too Much Of a Good Thing” by Kara Liggett

December 16

Matthew 7:13 "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.”

Recently, I was talking about casinos and wondered what a casino would look like if someone just pulled the plug and all those flashing lights went off.  In Louisiana, I have realized, people have a different view of the presence of casinos- on every street corner, but the dangers and consequences are just as dire.  For the families that don’t take part in gambling, the casinos are just another obstacle to maneuver around in their Christian walk (a little more prevalent and visible obstacle in certain states that legalize this activity).

A reality hit me hard the other night when Curt, one of the kids in the family with whom I’m staying, said when talking about casinos, “Well, anyway, I know from church that gambling is a sin...” as if to dismiss all activity of the sort that takes place at a casino.  

“Oh, if only it was so simple, young grasshopper,” I was thinking.  In one of the moments where I didn’t want to undermine his innocent understanding of black and white sin, wrong v. right, the easy approach we can have to this whole understanding of human nature as a child- That sin is an incomprehensible monster that lurks under the bed, left dormant if left alone (which, in a sense, is a true consideration; however unrealistic for us and our sinful nature).

“Yeah, it’s a sin...just like a lot of other things that people do in excess- drinking, gossip, worry, covet, etc...  The scary thing is that gambling is such a black hole addiction...it draws people in seemingly harmless fun in the beginning, but for most people, it can spiral out of control before it’s too late and lives are ruined...” I gave the simplest answer I could think of in that moment, but I immediately realized when I said, “like a lot of other sin...” that all sin like gambling, starts with US thinking that we can CONTROL our own actions.  We think we can toe the line between the wrong and right, and our background of a Christian upbringing is enough to shield any onslaught of temptations that we may encounter. But, times when we PURPOSEFULLY go into a place of temptation, we are “toeing” the line and daring the sin to become too strong for us to control.  Unfortunately, most of us find out the hard way that we are not strong enough to toe the line.  That is why we are called to choose the narrow path, submitting our deepest desires into the control of a Mighty God.