If you’re wondering how to win at the “game of life,” it all starts with obedience. I’m not referring to the board game called “LIFE.” I’m referring to real life. In the beginning, when God created Adam and Eve, He told them to not eat of one tree in the entire garden… And they disobeyed. God said: “You may freely eat any fruit in the garden except fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat of its fruit, you will surely die.” (Gen. 2:17 NLT) Fast forward to today, and we’re still paying for the consequences of their disobedience. But don’t be too quick to judge them. You and I are Adam and Eve and we most likely would have disobeyed too because that’s human nature. God created humans in His image which means we have a spirit that is eternal and we have a will.
As a child, obeying your parents (or not) is the beginning of the rest of your life obeying God’s commands – or not. During childhood, our parents’ responsibility is to teach us how to obey them and obey the laws of the land. And what is our tendency to do? Rebel and disobey. In Ephesians 6:1-3, the Bible tells us, Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord, for this is the right thing to do. “Honor your father and mother.” This is the first of the Ten Commandments that ends with a promise. And this is the promise: If you honor your father and mother, “you will live a long life, full of blessing.”
So, how do you win at the “game of life”? Start by obeying your parents as a child and obeying God like His child throughout your life. Of course, life is not a game. It’s real and it happens to all of us, including living with bad parents. But as we read in the Scriptures, obedience brings the promise of a long life, full of blessings. Disobedience brings death in the end. But the Bible is not talking of physical death which we will all experience. God is talking of eternal death which is eternal separation from God.
Live your life understanding that your final destination is not just your body in the ground. But it’s your spirit living in heaven forever with God. How do you arrive at this understanding and revelation? By surrendering your life to Jesus as your Savior. Then you live your life on earth with Jesus walking alongside you. Life will still happen to you. But now you are living life and getting through every hurdle with His help. Jesus guides you and provides for you in every circumstance throughout your life’s journey.
In the game of LIFE, you win when you end up with the most money and possessions. Unlike the board game, you win the “game of real life” when you know your final destination is heaven. The “ticket” (or the “get out of jail” card) is Jesus. And you can have this free ticket by accepting Him in your heart as your Lord and Savior today.
Share this article with your children and remind them why they need to obey you. If you have the privilege of being a grandparent, share this article with your grandchildren too. To all the parents reading this article, don’t give up teaching your children obedience and about Jesus. In the end, they will win “the game of life” knowing that they will be in heaven with Jesus forever.