Play to Win

Acts 14:22

Where they helped the believers to grow in love for God and each other. They encouraged them to continue in the faith in spite of all the persecutions, reminding them that they must enter into the Kingdom of God through many tribulations.


Reflection:

I was thinking back the other day to when I was a child and the childhood games I used to play. Many of them came to mind but I can remember getting a lot of enjoyment from playing "Jacks." Now it has not been that long since some of you have played Jacks. But for those who seem to have forgotten, it is the game you play by tossing Jacks onto the floor then bouncing a small ball and picking them up one by one while keeping the others from falling back out. Let's look at this game in a metaphorical sense. When you are not saved you become scattered about. Working to please every Tom, Dick, and Harry. You party and commit other sins, and are living in the valley. Our lives represent the jacks and are scattered around. God is the ball, who comes to lift us up. When you are at the lowest point in your life God bounces down and picks you up. Now with jacks you have to do this several times because you can't grab all of the pieces on the first try. Some of the pieces may slip between the cracks of your fingers; some may be too far to reach while the ones that are ready are in easy reach. If our lives were one neat little package it would be easy to say that we have it all together. It would also be easy to say that when we get saved everything will change, but the reality is that we don't have it all together, our lives have not always been a neat little package. Like many we have had our piece scattered about, and it may seem like no matter what you do things do not come together. Aren't you glad that God being the ball in this game of life, comes down and picks you up, not once but as long as you need him to.

God has called us to a higher place and he is working in each of our lives to help us get our scattered pieces together to form one body in Christ. The thing about the scattered pieces is that it forms a testimony. In today's scripture we see that if we work together to encourage and remind each other that getting into the Kingdom of God requires many tribulations we will enter God's Kingdom.. Tribulations build character. Look at Rosa Parks and Harriet Tubman. They had to overcome obstacles but when they finished they came forth on top. When you go through stuff it is to make you stronger and when you rely on your faith to get you through you end up on top. I know while you are in the midst of your mess it is hard to see that it will come together. God is holding you and all your mess in the palms of his hands. In order to win at the game of jacks you have to pick up all the pieces and hold them in your hand. Once you have done that you are considered a winner. In Life you are a winner when you allow God to hold you and your scattered pieces in the palm of His hand. Remember that it was God's hands that made you and it is God's hands that will save you. Some may slip through the cracks but once you are leaning on faith, you know that even though you slipped God will bounce back down and pick you up. We are not perfect and from time to time we will fall but like Donny McCurklin said, we can get up and get back in line. While you are in the midst of your storm hold on to God's hand and know he is picking up the pieces in your life. Once they are all picked up and you are molded according to God's Divine plan, you shall win.

Be Blessed and Encouraged