CHESS OR CHECKERS

WHAT I HOPE TO SHARE WITH YOU IS INTENDED TO STIMULATE YOUR THINKING AND PRAYERFULLY MOTIVATE YOU TOWARD A LEVEL OF SERIOUSNESS IN YOUR CHRISTIAN WALK, WHICH MIGHT BE LONG OVERDUE FOR YOUR LIFE. YOU DECIDE. 

 I CONSIDER THIS A THOUGHT …  WORTH THINKING ABOUT. 

ARE YOU PLAYING CHESS, OR ARE YOU PLAYING CHECKERS? 

THE GAME OF CHECKERS HAS BEEN AROUND MUCH LONGER THAN THE GAME OF CHESS. PLAYING CHECKERS BEGAN SOMEWHERE AROUND 3000 B.C.E., WHILE THE GAME OF CHESS ONLY DATES BACK TO 600 A.D. 

BOTH BOARD GAMES HAVE UNDERGONE A SLOW BUT STEADY EVOLUTION TO BECOME GLOBAL FIXTURES IN THE SOCIETY THAT THEY ARE TODAY.  

THE GAME OF CHECKERS IS A FUN FAMILY ACTIVITY THAT ALMOST EVERYBODY CAN JOIN IN AND ENJOY PLAYING. PEOPLE AND FAMILIES FROM AROUND THE WORLD CAN SPONTANEOUSLY PULL OUT A BOARD AND PARTICIPATE IN THE GAME WITHOUT ANY ADVANCED PLANNING. MOST PEOPLE LEARNED THE STRATEGIES OF THIS GAME WHILE THEY WERE IN KINDERGARTEN OR EARLY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. THE GAME IS FUN. IT’S MILDLY COMPETITIVE AND CREATES SOME LAUGHS MIXED IN WITH ITS CHALLENGES. SOMETIMES EVEN THE MOST INEXPERIENCED PLAYER CAN COME OUT AS THE WINNER WITHOUT REMEMBERING THE GAME-CHANGING MOVES THEY MADE. OVER THE YEARS, CHECKERS HAS BECOME FAR LESS COMBATIVE THAN WHEN IT WAS FIRST DEVELOPED. A SINGLE GAME RARELY REQUIRES MUCH TIME BEFORE A WINNER EMERGES 

THE GAME OF CHESS IS MUCH DIFFERENT ON EVERY LEVEL. THE REQUIRED CONCENTRATION AND FOCUS MAKE THE GAME FAR MORE COMPETITIVE THAN WHAT MOST PEOPLE FIND ENJOYABLE. THE THEORY OF CHESS REQUIRES A KNOWLEDGE OF THE GAME. THOSE WHO AVIDLY PLAY CHESS WILL ADMIT THAT THERE IS ALWAYS MORE TO LEARN.  STRATEGY CONCENTRATION AND TRYING TO OUTSMART YOUR OPPONENT ARE A CONSTANT. CHESS IS A GAME WHERE CONSTANT DELIBERATION IS REQUIRED FOR PLAYING TOWARD TO THE END GAME. CHESS TAKES TIME. CHESS IS NOT FOR EVERYBODY. GENERALLY SPEAKING, CHESS PLAYERS ARE MORE INTENSE THAN THE MASSES WHO ENGAGE IN A QUICK, SIMPLE GAME OF CHECKERS. FEWER PEOPLE KNOW HOW TO PLAY CHESS THAN CHECKERS, AND MOST OF THE PEOPLE WHO DON’T PLAY CHESS HAVE NO DESIRE TO EVEN LEARN THE GAME. SOME WHO MIGHT LIKE TO LEARN THE GAME DECLINE BECAUSE OF THE TIME THAT A SINGLE GAME CAN CONSUME.  WITH CHESS, PATIENCE IS THE PREMIUM FOR TRIUMPH.  

EACH GAME BOARD HAVING 64 SPACES IS ABOUT THE ONLY THING THESE TWO GAMES HAVE IN COMMON. CHECKERS FEELS RELAXED. CHESS IS A GAME OF CALCULATED ATTACK STRATEGIES. 

ARE YOU LIVING YOUR CHRISTIAN LIFE MAKING MOVES THAT ARE QUICK OR IMPULSIVE, WITHOUT CONSIDERATION OF THE END GAME? ARE YOU SPENDING TIME TO IMPROVE THE WAYS YOU STRATEGIZE YOUR LIFE TO BUILD A BETTER RELATIONSHIP WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT? ARE YOU LOOKING FOR A FUN PASTIME ACTIVITY OR DO YOU GIVE TIME TO LEARN AND DEVELOP YOURSELF IN THE GOAL OF DOING THE WILL OF GOD? ARE YOU SPENDING THE TIME TO STUDY THE WORD OF GOD AND INCREASE YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT HE DESIRES? IS YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF GOD’S WORD CHALLENGING YOU TO GREATER LEVELS OF MINISTRY AND EFFECTIVENESS IN HELPING OTHERS FIND CHRIST? 

GOD DESIRES TO REVEAL HIS GLORY IN YOUR LIFE BUT IT WILL COME AT A PRICE. YOU MUST DESIRE HIM. THE PROOF OF YOUR DESIRE FOR GOD IS EVIDENT IN YOUR PURSUIT OF GOD. THE REWARD OF YOUR PURSUIT WILL BE THE PRESENCE OF GOD AND HIS POWER FLOWING IN AND THROUGH YOU IN WAYS THAT WILL BRING AN INCREASE TO EVERY AREA OF YOUR LIFE. 

SATAN IS OUT TO SILENCE YOUR WORSHIP, NEUTRALIZE YOUR TESTIMONY FOR JESUS, AND REDUCE YOUR PURSUIT OF GOD TO LITTLE MORE THAN WISHFUL THINKING. 

2 TIMOTHY 2:15 STUDY (WHICH MEANS… TO DO YOUR BEST) TO SHOW YOURSELF APPROVED UNTO GOD  ( OR TO PRESENT YOURSELF TO GOD), A WORKMAN THAT IS NOT ASHAMED OF AND …  (WHO CORRECTLY HANDLES THE WORD OF TRUTH).  

THAT MEANS I PURSUE THE TRUTH OF GOD’S WORD, AND CORRECTLY APPLY WHAT I HAVE FOUND IN HIS WORD … TO MY DAILY LIVING. 

JAMES 1:22-24 NIV DO NOT MERELY LISTEN TO THE WORD AND SO, DECIEVE YOURSELVES. DO WHAT IT SAYS. V.23 ANYONE WHO LISTENS TO THE WORD BUT DOES NOT DO WHAT IT SAYS IS LIKE SOMEONE WHO LOOKS AT HIS FACE IN A MIRROR V.24 AND AFTER LOOKING AT HIMSELF GOES AWAY AND FORGETS WHAT HE LOOKS LIKE. 

GALATIANS 2:20 I AM CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST: NEVERTHELESS, I LIVE; YET NOT I, BUT CHRIST LIVES IN ME; AND THE LIFE WHICH I NOW LIVE IN THE FLESH I LIVE BY THE FAITH OF THE SON OF GOD, WHO LOVED ME AND GAVE HIMSELF FOR ME. 

YES, WE ARE THE ONES WHO LIVE BUT NO … IT IS NOT JUST US WHO LIVE, BUT THE CHRIST WHO LIVES IN US, THAT MUST BE REFLECTED THROUGH US IN EVERY ASPECT OF OUR LIVES. 

GOD WILL NEVER ASK YOU TO WALK AWAY FROM MORE THAN HE WILL GIVE YOU IN RETURN. YOU WILL, HOWEVER, BE REQUIRED TO WALK AWAY FROM YOURSELF … IF YOU ARE TO EXPERIENCE THE HOLY SPIRIT IN ALL OF HIS FULLNESS. THE REASON THAT TRULY SPIRIT-FILLED PEOPLE ARE SO UNCOMMON IN THE CHURCH IS THAT SO FEW PEOPLE ARE WILLING TO PAY THE PRICE.  SADLY, MOST HEARTS ENTRONE SELF ABOVE CHRIST. AND,  HE WILL NOT SHARE SPACE WITH THE FLESH. HE LONGS TO FLOW IN YOU AND OVERFLOW THROUGH YOU TO THE DRY AND THIRSTING MASSES OF HUMANITY THAT YOU RUB SHOULDERS WITH EVERY DAY. 

CHESS OR CHECKERS? YOU DECIDE WHICH YOU ARE PLAYING.  

I DON’T KNOW THE ANSWER. 

WHAT I KNOW IS THIS. 

IT’S YOUR MOVE. 

ufa2023
ufa2023