Te ʼu Fehuʼi ʼa Te Kau Lautohi

ʼE kovi koa te gaoʼi paʼaga tatau aipe peʼe veliveli te falā ʼaē ʼe fai kiai te gaoʼi?

ʼE talanoa fakahagatonu ia te Folafola ʼa te ʼAtua ki te gaoʼi paʼaga, kae ʼe lahi te ʼu meʼa ʼe palalau kiai ʼe ina fakahā mai ko te gaoʼi paʼaga ʼe mole ʼalutahi mo te ʼu pelesepeto ʼo te Tohi-Tapu. a Ohage foki la, kua ʼiloʼi lelei ko te gaoʼi paʼaga ʼe ina fakaneke ia te mānumānu. Ko te faʼahi pe ʼaia e tahi ʼe ko he koga maʼuhiga ke tokagaʼi e te kau Kilisitiano, koteʼuhi ʼe tala fakahagatonu mai e te Tohi-Tapu ko “te hahai manumanu” ʼe mole nātou tofiʼa anai ki te Puleʼaga ʼo te ʼAtua, pea ʼe ina fakapipiki tahi te mānumānu mo te tauhi tamapua.—1 Kolonito 6:9, 10; Kolose 3:5.

Ko te gaoʼi paʼaga ʼe ina fakaneke foki te tahi manatu pe kia kita, mo te manatu fakataupiepie, pea mo te holi ki he mālo. Neʼe fakatokaga mai e te ʼapositolo ko Paulo ke tou tokaga ki te ʼu meʼa ʼaia, ʼo ina tohi fēnei: “Ke ʼaua naʼa tou liliu ʼo fialahi, ʼo fakatupu he ʼu fihi ia tatou, pea mo tou femahekaʼaki ia tatou.” (Kalate 5:26, MN ) Pea tahi ʼaē meʼa, ko te gaoʼi paʼaga ʼe ina fakaneke te falala ki te ʼu meʼa fakamanamana ʼo te lasio. ʼE fakatuputupu e nātou ʼaē ʼe gaoʼi paʼaga ia te ʼu faʼahiga mataku kehekehe, ʼo nātou fakaʼamu ke nātou lasio. ʼE nātou fakamanatuʼi mai te kau Iselaele heʼe agatonu ʼaē neʼe nātou “fakatuʼu te laupapa maʼa te ʼatua ʼo te Faigamālie pea mo nātou ʼaē ʼe nātou fakafonu he vino fio maʼa te ʼatua ʼo te Mataʼi Tohi.”—Isaia 65:11.

ʼE feala ke lau e ʼihi ʼe ko he gaoʼi noa pe, mokā kita mate ki he kiʼi falā heʼe kita pepa feiā pe, peʼe kita gaoʼi ʼi te gaoʼi fakatahi mo te famili peʼe ko he ʼu kaumeʼa lelei. ʼE moʼoni, ko he tahi ʼe mate ki he kiʼi falā ʼe lagi mole ko he tahi ʼe mānumānu, peʼe manatu pe kia ia, peʼe gaoʼi fakataupiepie, peʼe tui ki he ʼu meʼa fakamanamana. Kae ʼe faka ʼuhigaʼi feafeaʼi e nātou ʼaē ʼe gaoʼi paʼaga mo ia? Tokolahi te kau gaoʼi paʼaga ʼaē ʼe nātou manako ʼaupito ki te gaoʼi ʼaia, neʼe nātou kamata ʼaki he ʼu kiʼi mate ‘moʼo gaoʼi feiā pe.’ (Luka 16:10) Ko he kiʼi gaoʼi noa neʼe liliu ia ko he meʼa fakatupu tuʼutāmaki kia nātou.

Pea ʼe moʼoni tāfito te faʼahi ʼaia mo kapau ʼe ko he ʼu tamaliki. Tokolahi te tamaliki neʼe nātou fiafia ʼi tanatou mālo ʼi tana mate ʼaia, pea neʼe nātou faigaʼi ke nātou hiki tanatou mate. (1 Timoteo 6:10) ʼE fakamoʼoni e te sivi neʼe fai ʼi Amelika e te Fono ʼo Arizona ʼo ʼuhiga mo te hahaʼi ʼaē ʼe manako ki te gaoʼi paʼaga, tokolahi ia te kau gaoʼi ʼaia neʼe nātou kamata kae neʼe kei nātou liliki “ ʼo nātou mate ki he ʼu faigaoʼi peʼe nātou pepa mo he ʼu kaumeʼa peʼe ko te famili.” ʼE ʼui e te tahi fakamatala “ko te tamaliki ʼe nātou kamata gaoʼi paʼaga ʼi tonatou ʼapi, ʼo nātou kamata pepa mo tonatou famili pea mo tonatou ʼu kaumeʼa.” ʼE toe ʼui e te sivi ʼaia “ko te tolugofulu ʼi te teau ʼo te tamaliki ʼaē ʼe gaoʼi paʼaga, neʼe nātou fai te faʼahi ʼaia kae neʼe mole heʼeki nātou taʼu hogofulu-ma-tahi.” ʼE fakahā e te sivi Why Do People Gamble Too Much—Pathological and Problem Gambling, tokolahi te kau tūpulaga ʼe gaoʼi paʼaga ʼe nātou totogi tanatou manako fakavale ki te gaoʼi ʼaia ʼo nātou fai te ʼu aga ʼe mole ʼalutahi mo te lao, peʼe nātou fai he ʼu aga heʼeʼaoga. Ko he meʼa neʼe hage ʼi te kamata neʼe mole kovi kae liliu ko he meʼa fakatupu tuʼutāmaki!

Mai te ʼaluʼaga ʼaē ʼe tou maʼuʼuli ʼi te mālama ʼe lahi ʼaupito ai te ʼu hele pea mo te ʼu fakahala, he koʼe koa ʼe tou faiga ki te ʼu meʼa ʼaia kae ʼe mole ʼi ai hona ʼuhiga? (Tāʼaga Lea 27:12) Ko te gaoʼi paʼaga—peʼe kau kiai te tamaliki peʼe kailoa, peʼe ko he kiʼi falā veliveli peʼe ko he falā lahi—ʼe fakatupu tuʼutāmaki ki te maʼuli fakalaumālie pea ʼe tonu ke līaki. ʼE lelei ki te kau Kilisitiano ʼaē ʼe nātou fia fai ki te gaoʼi fakatahi peʼe ko te pepa, ke nātou tohi pe te ʼu foʼi kai, peʼe nātou gaoʼi feiā pe kae mole nātou tohi te ʼu foʼi kai. Ko te kau Kilisitiano fakapotopoto ʼaē ʼe nātou tokakaga ki tonatou maʼuli fakalaumālie ʼo feiā mo te maʼuli fakalaumālie ʼo tonatou ʼu kaumeʼa mo tonatou famili, ʼe mole nātou gaoʼi paʼaga—tatau aipe peʼe nātou gaoʼi ki he kiʼi falā veliveli.

[Kiʼi nota]