The Game of Life Increases Your Faith Level

People everywhere are playing games on the social media sites. Candy Crush is one of the favorites. Doctors, lawyers, bankers, stay at home moms, secretaries, teachers and athletes all play. I admit it, I play it as well.  I’m on level 125. I should say I’m stuck on level 125.  It’s ridiculous when I think I’ve had to play some of those levels 50 times before I could pass on to the next level.  Why would anyone spend so much time going over and over and over the same thing?  Everyone I know who plays the game keeps playing and playing and playing. 

I’m reminded of the game of life. We are bound at a level of rejection or indifference or heartbreak.  We want to go past it, move on, but we’re stuck. Sometimes we think it’s not worth the effort and we quit altogether. We’re ready to move on to something else.  Find another way to play.

Life is not really a game but we are participants.  We have to be serious about it to get through.  If we’re content to stay at level one we can do that.  But God is always encouraging us to step up, go up, move up.  There are great rewards at the higher levels with Him. 

We see the more difficult times of our lives as game ending events. But the Lord sees them as life enhancing events. As we go through it all our faith level is increased with every level.  God will give us the strength to go on when we lay that rejection at His feet, knowing that He was despised and rejected Himself. He knows how it feels and yet He went on to the cross, stepped into hell, rose again and is sitting at God’s right hand!

Sometimes the levels seem like a breeze, other times they are especially hard. But as long as we keep Jesus with us, helping us every step of the way, we will be victorious over the small things and eventually we will be victorious over it all.

Winners are not those who are better, have it all together or know the cheats. No, winners are those who know their limitations, see their inabilities clearly and call upon the One who knows how to navigate every degree of their lives.  Winners cannot be pointed out for their strength or their charisma or their talents. Real winners are those who have simply kept playing the game of life and never quit, always relying on the Lord Who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we can ask or think.

Oh beloved, if you decided it was easier to quit, God is lovingly calling you to get back in the game. It doesn’t matter what someone else has declared about you, you are destined to win. It doesn’t matter what kinds of obstacles to the next level you encounter, God has declared you an overcomer.  Nothing can keep you from winning because God loves you and He’s for you and that’s all you will ever need to be a winner in life.  

2 Kings 3:18 But this is only a simple thing for the Lord, for He will make you victorious over the army of Moab!

James 1:12 Blessed (happy, to be envied) is the man who is patient under trial and stands up under temptation, for when he has stood the test and been approved, he will receive [the victor’s] crown of life which God has promised to those who love Him. (Amplified)

I John 5:4 For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith.

Psalm 44:3 They did not conquer the land with their swords; it was not their own strong arm that gave them victory. It was Your right hand and strong arm and the blinding light from Your face that helped them, for You loved them.

1 Corinthians 15:57 but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

How's It Going in the Game of Life?

It took me a while to figure out how to snap my fingers when I was a little girl. My niece had no problem snapping her fingers and since we were practically the same age I got frustrated because she could do that before I could! Winking was easier for me but even then as with most kids, both eyes blinked at the same time until coordination kicked in. Playing jacks was another milestone maker for most of us baby boomers. Bounce the little ball and scoop up the jacks was easier said than done. Playing jacks was one of the harder to learn games and required more skill. Hand to eye coordination was learned by all three of these little childhood games.

Some things are pretty easy in the game of life. Most of us are used to snapping our fingers and getting most of what we want, from fast food to TV channels. From buying clothes to furnishing our homes - with a snap of the finger, it’s all done for us. All we have to do is pick something out, pull out the plastic and it’s done. In the blink of an eye we can change our hair, change our mate, change our homes and change churches. We can decide with hardly a moment’s notice to make major life changing decisions. Some things in our lives require a little juggling to coordinate, but with a little practice we can do whatever we want to do.

There are things we can do that God wants us to be careful about – one of them is wink. He doesn’t want us to wink at sin, at mistakes, at failures or at things that don’t line up with His Word. When we don’t give our failures to Him, then He will bring them to the mind of the believer in the form of conviction so that our fellowship with Him can be restored. But when we do come to Him for restoration, with the snap of His spiritual finger our fellowship is restored. We may have consequences of our actions, but His love never fails, He never gives up on us and His mercy comes in like a flood, renewing our heart and helping us start over. It may seem at times that God is playing jacks with our lives – picking up some of us quickly and restoring order. Other times it looks like He isn’t taking care of us – the wait is long as our hearts desire to be scooped into His loving arms. But God’s way is perfect and His longsuffering is precise as He covers us with His atoning sacrifice and His generous mercies.

Maybe you’ve grown tired of going the right road. You may have looked around and thought that others, who don’t live for the Lord, have it better than you. You may be wishing for a new set of rules with which to play the game of life. You might have even tried to do what everyone else is doing; only to find that you are more lonely and alone as you don’t feel God’s closeness like you used to.

Oh beloved, run to the Lord! Let Him show you His life skills! His blessings, glory and honor come to you when you seek Him first. No matter where you’ve been, no matter what you’ve done, He is waiting with open arms to restore fellowship and start anew! His Spirit is calling you to stay close, oh so close, to Him. He reminds you today that He is the Great I AM. And that in His Name is found the most talent, the most ability and the greatest blessings a heart can yearn for. Never regret living for Him, even when it looks hopeless, for in a moment His blessings will shower down on you and His return will scoop you up and take you home with Him.

Trust Him, obey Him, worship Him, live for Him – for He loves you and He’s for you and that’s all you need to succeed in the game of life!


Psalm 51:12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and make me willing to obey You.

Micah 6:8 No, O people, the LORD has told you what is good, and this is what He requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.

Psalm 37:3 Trust in the LORD and do good; Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.

Psalm 136:23 He remembered us in our weakness. His faithful love endures forever.