I rarely listen to country music, but I recently heard The Gambler and couldn’t help but apply biblical principles.
The song is about a seasoned gambler using poker terms to give a young man advice about life. He tells him he must know when to hold his cards, when to "fold" his cards, when to walk away from the game, and when to run.(1)
The Christian life is never a gamble, but similar principles apply:
1. We need to know when to hold on.
Hebrews 10:23: Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.
2. We need to know when and what to "fold" (give up).
Matthew 16:25: For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.
3. We need to know when to walk away.
1 Corinthians 10:13: God is faithful…when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out…
4. We need to know when to run.
1 Corinthians 6:18: Run from sexual sin!
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(1) I don’t play poker or recommend it, but knowing when to hold cards and when to fold cards means knowing when to stay in and when to drop out of a hand of poker. Knowing when to walk away means knowing when to get out of a game, despite the losses you've already incurred because it's inevitable that the losses will increase. Knowing when to run means understanding the need to get out of the game immediately (perhaps to protect yourself from an angry card player or to keep from losing all of your money).
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