Tucked away in many closets and cupboards are stacks of old table games: Monopoly, Careers, Candyland, Memory, Mastermind and others. The sight of them often brings memories of eager little ones begging for someone to play with them. Ah, the fine art of playing games with children. It is called, “How to let them win without their knowing you are letting them win.” Those same little ones years later have most likely learned the fine art of, “How to let the old guy win without his knowing they are letting him win!”
We all like to win and a favorite verse of Scripture is about winning. In Romans 8:37 we read, “…in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” Jesus makes sure we are winners. The passage goes on to say that there is nothing in heaven or on earth that can separate us from God’s love. Talk about winning! It is so grand; Paul says we are more than winners. What we get is so wonderful it is beyond our concept of what it means to win.
In Philippians 3:14 Paul writes, “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Since Paul tells us in Ephesians 2 that we have eternal life as a gift, eternal life cannot be what we are trying to win. We already have the gift. Read the verse more carefully. The prize we are to win is our high calling to be like Jesus Himself.
Written by Roger Bothwell on April 5, 2002
Spring of Life, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574
Rogerbothwell.org