Most of us would agree that life is truly a journey, and traveling its pathways in tributaries as a confessed Christian must be akin to scaling the Himalayas Mountains. Choosing the path that Jesus walked is not easy. Publicly professing your faith in this regard is tantamount to putting a bull’s eye on your back. That makes it easier for Satan to spot you in a crowd, on a bus, in a marriage, or on the job and then put you and your so-called faith to the test.
I’ve begrudgingly come to know that as long as you’re not doing anything to get Satan’s attention, more than likely, you won’t. If you adhere to the premise that life is a series of random events and challenges, how you live your life is insignificant in the cosmos. If there are no real consequences to your actions, then Satan is quite pleased with the prospect of seeing you dead in Hell. You’ve heard about the movie Dead Man Walking? The title seems to make my point better than I can. But the moment you begin to pay attention to God, listen to Jesus, and attempt to practice the principles outlined in the bible, please understand you’ve just given the devil license to wreak havoc on your world. Just like the Lord, in many ways, Satan is playing for keeps, and most of us don’t understand that because in life, in the physical realm, playing for keeps is not a consideration. Do you remember when you were a kid, and maybe the first time you really played for keeps was in marbles, and you lost? It may have been the first time you played cards for money or bet on a sports event, and you lost. If we’re honest, that sinking feeling was enough for us to avoid playing for keeps in life as adults. In love? Ain’t happening! You see, the devil only knows one way to play and has only one reason for playing. He wants your very soul and will destroy you and anybody who looks like you to win his Super Bowl.
That’s what makes God’s mercy so incredible: you can always expect to play the game again despite what you or I think is a lost cause. In God’s game, it’s never over until the last, and I do mean the last breath is out of you. Until then, He is waiting on who got next. God is the originator of this game. He knows its rules inside and out, and He wants each and every one of us to become so proficient at playing that he has made the playbook accessible to everyone simply for the asking. Somewhere in the playbook, most of us have missed a very important point: you can’t foul out of this game as long as you’re playing. You win as long as you’re moving through, playing with an eye on Christ, an ear to the Word, and a heart stuck on others. As long as the devil convinces you this game is no fun, has no winners, and you can’t spend the winning prize, then he’s likely to achieve his goal of you simply deciding not to play. Not playing God’s game is playing Satan’s. Playing Satan’sgame is like expecting to win in Vegas. Never bet against the House. You might win a hand or two, a roll or two. But in the long run, you’ll get on a plane to Hell and wonder where the good times went. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather dance with the one that ‘brung’ me.
May God bless and keep you always.