Playing to Win

When the girls were little, we loved to play the game Oregon Trail on the computer. Ashley in particular loved that game. What was most interesting about that game was the many number of smaller decisions you needed to make. When to leave? What provisions to buy? How much meat to hunt? But the end objective was the same. To arrive safe and sound at the other end.

It was amazing how much we would get hung up on the miniature games and completely miss the end objective. Ashley in particular loved to hunt and she would just keep blasting away at the buffalo because getting the buffalo became the objective. Problem was that you can't physically carry two tons of buffalo meat and your camp may die of scurvy because all you had them eat was meat. So inevitably Ashley's party would all die off before reaching the end. I on the other hand loved to have my party leave in January and they would all die off from freezing.

Life is always a series of smaller decisions but all with the objective of finishing well. Paul equates life to running a race. We are to run the race in such a way as to win the prize (1 Cor 9:24). He goes on in verses 26-27 to say how he does that. Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified. I sense a lot of Oregon Trail type decisions that add up to winning the race.

Seemingly inconsequential decisions will make a huge difference in running the race of life. Kent Hughes wrote a book called "The Disciplines of a Godly Man". He breaks down those disciplines into relationships, soul, character, and ministry. I am just finishing up two years of meeting with a group of guys every Monday night and we essentially focus on those disciplines to be men of God. It is tough - we each have those items of baggage that hold us back. But we are committed to those disciplines that help us to run the race in such a way that we can win.