This is a true statement when it comes to sports and other aspects of life. It truly is how you play the game that is more important. We have a six-year-old grandson who is in soccer and they do not keep score. The idea at that age is that their games are not about winning and losing, but it is about learning the game and having fun. The team he is on is pretty good for their age and so is he. Because of this, our son does unofficially keep score and shares this with our grandson. In this last Saturday’s game, they were not doing so well compared to the other team so our son did not keep score. I am not for giving everyone a participation trophy as they get older. In sports and in life there are people who win and those who lose. But even then, it is how you play the game, how you treat people, how you react to the losses and misfortunes of life, how you learn from the losses, and how you remain humble in the wins. Sports at a young age can teach children and youth these life skills.
But there is one aspect of our lives when winning is everything. It is not simply how you play the game of life. That area is the spiritual aspect of winning over sin. It is our responsibility to win that battle every day. Even though we are in Christ, and the sinful nature has been conquered, because we still live in the flesh, we battle with the temptations of sin and often yield to those temptations. We must win those battles, but of course, we do not win those battles alone, on our own strength.
To keep within the sports metaphor, we also went to a football game for 4-5 graders last Saturday. This was because one of our granddaughters cheerleads for the team. One of the fathers was also trying to cheer his son’s team on. At one point he yelled out to them that they were not alone out there. I’m still not sure what he meant. Perhaps he was saying that they had the support of the fan base in the bleachers. In our battle with sin, we too are not alone. God is with us. The Holy Spirit lives in us. This is expressed clearly in Psalm 139. Look at these last two verses. “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139.23-24)
We need to rely on the help of the Holy Spirit to convict us of sin and give us the strength to avoid, overcome, and turn away from sin. This is the only way we will win the battle, win the war, win the game. Let us daily surrender to the Holy Spirits leading and fight the battle against sin, and win.
In Christ Alone
No responses yet