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.

Fan or Follower?

We’ve read and shared the book, Not A Fan. It’s a very good take on the difference between fans and followers. I learned my lesson on this from of all things baseball.  I fell in love with the game and especially the Braves through spending time with one of my teenage daughters. I began to watch games with her. I was a fan, especially of some of the players. Mark Wohlers was one of my all-time favorite players. He had an arm like no one I’d ever seen- until he lost it. I watched the team try to keep him playing, try to help him get the pitch back and ultimately send him to the minors to try to help him recover. To my knowledge, he never did. Then there were the great players who would get traded to other teams. Then there were the players I didn’t know who came in to play for the team I enjoyed.

I found it hard to keep watching because the players changed all the time. Just as I had a favorite pitcher or hitter to follow, they’d be gone and another would replace them. I had just about decided I didn’t like baseball anymore when one of my cousins said, “you just have to pick your team and stay loyal to them because everything else is subject to change”. People come and people go. So instead of being a fan of a couple of players I became a follower of the team.

In the believer’s life, we are all on the same team – Team Jesus. But some of us are merely fans while others are completely committed followers. It’s hard to tell the difference in a fan and a follower until a real commitment is needed. When the going is tough, a fan will move on. When the thrill is gone, fans leave the stadium. When things don’t go their way, a fan will quit the team and begin to do their own thing. Followers look for a spot to plug into, while fans look for what makes them feel good. Followers are servants. Fans like being served.

We must pray for our pastors. They are over a team of followers and fans. It’s a rough place to be. Pray for our churches, they are filled with followers and fans.  Pray – that you and I will always be a completely committed follower of the Lord Jesus Christ, so that no matter what and after having done all we will stand. Pray for one another – that God to keep us all from straying when the heat is on, when the stadium is empty, when the money is low and the commitment level is lower.

Oh beloved, God knows what you’re going through. He knows you may have been slighted, ignored or pushed aside. It may have been intentional or accidental, but God was with you when it happened. You may have talents you want to use, gifts you want to give, blessings you want to share – but always remember, even when your talents, gifts and blessings are low you are needed on Team Jesus. God doesn’t need your abilities, He just wants your commitment. He reminds you to look into His Word and see: Caleb and Joshua were the only two who stood with God yet they were powerful men who stayed on God’s team, even when everyone else quit. Moses stood on the mountain with God while the rest of the group made an idol to worship. Mary Magdelene let Christ change her life completely and she was rewarded by being one of the first to view the empty tomb! Rejoice, beloved, in your commitment to Him and watch as He takes you beyond your wildest imagination! He will fix what’s wrong, He will bless what’s lacking, He will minister to you in your deepest hurts and use you for His Kingdom and His glory! 

He loves you and He’s for you and that’s worth all your commitment forever!

Isaiah 26:4 So trust in the Lord (commit yourself to Him, lean on Him, hope confidently in Him) forever; for the Lord God is an everlasting Rock [the Rock of Ages]. (Amplified Bible)

Titus 2:14 He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us His very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds.

Galatians 2:20 My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

John 6:66-68 At this point many of His disciples turned away and deserted Him. Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, “Are you also going to leave?” Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life.”