HOW IS YOUR GAME?

In our society, we are conditioned to play to win. In every sporting event, winning is important; we never feel good if we lose. This competitive attitude is good if it is not carried to the extreme. It is good to win; however, in athletic competition, nothing terrible is going to happen if we do not win. But. in the game of life, things are different. A great many people do not seem to care whether they win or lose, and this is odd because in this game, it does matter. Heaven is the reward for the winners, and eternal destruction is the penalty for not winning. Why do you suppose there is this difference in attitude between the sports we participate in and the game of life? The only answer I can arrive at is that a great emphasis has been placed upon sports activities, while little attention is given to the game of life. In the sports world, when one is a champion in his field, he receives nation-wide, and sometime world-wide attention—he is a celebrity; but, how much attention is given to one who excels in the Christian life? However, in God’s score book, which do you think is receiving the recognition?

How do you make sure that you win in the game of life? First, you must become a Christian. I don’t mean that you must “join a church.” There is a difference. You must obey the gospel and let God add you to His church. (Acts 2:47). Then, you must work at becoming the best Christian possible. The best way to do this is to follow the advice of the apostle Peter who said in 2 Peter 1:5-9, “And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things be in you and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.”

Notice carefully, Peter said that if we will add these Christian graces to our lives, we will never fall. Since this is true, we need to work at adding these things, and we need to do this diligently each day. You will notice that he said if we do not add these Christian graces we are blind, and we forget that we were once cleansed. In other words, one who does not add these graces, turns back into the world and loses his soul. How is your game?