For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. (1 Timothy 6:10)
The prosperity gospel icon, Reverend Ike, used to say he had a diamond ring on his right hand and didn’t want his left hand to feel slighted, so he got another one for it, too. His riches defined him, and there was never enough.
Thus, the sad saga of a life built on sand. The sand has been the home for major housing developments called the NBA. Players and coaches who have been making millions of dollars were suddenly arrested for a gambling scandal, hinted to be connected to the Mafia in some way, that has involved fixing and/or influencing the outcome of games.
It’s the wart that has become visible on the body, known as sports betting. And the sports world has no one to blame but itself and its lust for more riches and revenue. From NIL monies to Fantasy Football to the transfer portal to mega-contract deals, it’s all about the cash. Our backyard tackle football games from childhood, when our love for the game was evident, are a thing of the past. It’s now an enterprise built on present and future riches.
I mean…tell me, why does LeBron James need to be a spokesperson for an online sports betting company? How many families have been negatively affected by his endorsing a family member to wager on a sports team? And he’s just one of many sports personalities who give that subtle message that gambling is a natural part of life, no different than sweeping out the garage.
I cringe when I turn the TV on to ESPN and they feature on the “bottom line” the matchups in the week’s college football games with the over/under betting line in parenthesis following the teams. Scott Van Pelt will sometimes show highlights of how the outcome of a game suddenly turned in the last few minutes in favor or disappointment to the betting spectator, simply on the basis of a missed field goal or an intercepted pass. There are now more fans of the bottom line over/under than there are of the Crimson Tide.
Reverend Ike rephrased the verse in 1 Timothy to read, “The lack of money is the root of all evil.” That seems to be the motto for today’s culture.
To clarify, I do not fault athletes and performers for being well-compensated. I cringe at the attitudes that resound with the idea of entitlement and the greed whose thirst is never quenched.
The truth of the last part of those words of Paul to Timothy should be in bold print: “Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”
…And left many people shaking their heads and asking the question, “Why?”
Words from WW Blog 