The Game of Life

Last weekend, Daddy, Anton, Kayla and I played a couple games of Life. You remember the board game: Little plastic cars, pink and blue peg people, paper money, and - in our case - a spinner that wobbled and never quite spun smoothly around. Anton won almost every single game we played. His strategy: skip college, get stock and buy all the insurance you can.

With this board game you draw from two decks of cards for a career and salary. If you have a college degree, you can choose three and pick the best. You sometimes land on a space which allows you to trade salaries with any player. You get married, buy a house, have children and go along the winding path of life through all the travails and successes the journey brings. And when you retire, you end up on some estate surrounded by piles of money. Ahhhh, yes, just like real life.

Obviously that last bit was sarcasm. Not everyone ends up in the lap of luxury in their golden years. Daddy instead likes to call it the "laugh of luxury" as in it's a big joke. You may be blessed financially, but you may also be like the majority of the world and work paycheck to paycheck for a living. But the game is pretty accurate with regards to the spin of the wheel. You just never know what space you're are going to land on. Sometimes there is a fork in the road and you can pick which way you want to go. And sometimes you land on a space that takes a chunk of change out of those stock piles. You just never know what may come your way.

And honestly that's the way of it. Daddy and I have had some bizarre things happen in our marriage. The filled septic tank that backed up into our Georgia basement. Our grease-filled pipes and the drive-by shooting in Tennessee. Car accidents. Medical emergencies. Making new friends. Betrayals by old ones. Those many job and location changes with their salary ups and downs. Plus awards, adventurous vacations, unique pets, grief, mission trips and precious children. It's been a wild ride.

There is no happily ever after. I don't want to pop your Disney fairytale balloon, but it will not always be happy. It will not always be successful or profitable. It will not always be sunshine and roses. But we will tell you what it always will be. It will be to God's glory. As Romans 8:28 says, "We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose." It may not be the good you expect or hope for, but it will good to God's fame and glory and purpose. Everyone of the trials we experienced taught us something and made us stronger. Each in their own way brought us closer to our Father or to His children. Our joys came not just with successes and financial growth, but in love, persevering and conquering.  

You two blue and pink peg people will hop in your cars and begin this journey together very soon. And we pray you will have more highs than lows together. But regardless of the spin of the wheel, know that you are in Good Hands of the One who is in control of all things. 

Discussion: What do you think is the key to success in the game of life? How is it possible that trials can actually be good? How do you measure success?

Prayer: Father we give our lives to You and pray you watch over us in the years ahead, through the ups and downs of our life journey. And we pray through it all, that people will know to Whom we belong as we give all glory to you. In Christ, Amen.

Building On The Foundation

The other day in Bible study we were examining the story of the Rich Man and Lazarus found in Luke 16. The story tells about a beggar man named Lazarus who laid by the gate of a wealthy man, who lived in luxury. This beggar man was hungry and injured. Soon both men died. The beggar went to Paradise where he rested with Abraham and the rich man went to Hell. An amazing conversation ensues between the rich man and Father Abraham, which you should read about. But it was a question your Daddy asked about the destination of both men that got me thinking. Daddy asked, "Why did they end up where they were?" Obviously the answer isn't because one was rich and the other poor. Only God knows the hearts of both men and can judge those destinations, but it seemed pretty obvious what the rich fellow didn't do. Here was a poor, hungry, injured man laying outside his front door every single day, and he just walked on by. You never hear about him offering in any way to help this man. He didn't care. Here he was with all these blessings from the Lord and ignored one of God's children. His reward? Eternal agony.

We discussed in our study that our job as disciples is to reach the lost. We are to share the Word, most certainly, but we are also to share His mercy, love, compassion and caring. As He does for us, so we must do for others. Our financial successes are not given to us for frivolous purposes. They are given to us for His glory. It seems the rich man didn't get it until it was too late.

We have no idea how the Father will bless you both. Will you live in luxury? Will you live paycheck-to-paycheck? Will you live comfortably? That is for the future to determine. But this we can assure you ... you are called to care regardless. It is our prayer that you will not step over the lost ones. That you will see the sick, hurting, lonely, hungry, homeless and persecuted and reach out to them in anyway you can. Yet not even just those, but the ones nearest you who may have even tinier needs. Let your hearts be moved, be empathetic, to the world around you. Pray God opens your eyes to see the hurt around you and inspires you in whatever ways you can offer help.

God tells us in Malachi 3:2 that God is like a refiner's fire. He will look at all we do in this world and reward us accordingly. If you believe in the Christ, you are saved. But what reward you receive is based on the good you do on Earth. What kinds of good? The very things mentioned in the previous paragraph. 1 Cor. 3:11-15 says, "For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames." 

We aren't worried about your destination. We fully intend on spending eternity with you both. Our prayer is that you will have a heap of gold, silver and costly stones sitting there atop your foundation so the Lord can say to you, "Well done, good and faithful servant" (Matthew 25:21). And we'll celebrate with you.

Discussion: Where do you see the hurting in your area? What are ways you can help? Do you think you need to seek out the lost or just keep your eyes open for them?

Prayer: Lord, help us remember that all good things come from you. We pray you open our eyes to the hurting around us and enable us to be Your Light in the midst of them. Thank you for Jesus and His teachings. In His name we pray, Amen.