The Games People Play

When I was in high school my friends and I would pass the time in study hall by playing paper football or battleship - two paper-based games whose sole purpose was to pass the time between classes. They were simple games. That's probably why I liked them. Nothing like the "games" some people play these days.

Everywhere you look, it seems, somebody is playing a game. It goes way beyond sitting around a lunchroom table with friends.  We carry games with us on our phones and computers. We play political games, business games, religious games and relationship games.

Watch the news tonight and see how many news stories are actually games people play to entertain or amuse themselves. Sex games, games with drugs, immigration games, nuclear weapons games, war games.

We also enjoy watching other people play games. Biggest Loser, The Bachelor, NFL, MJB, NBA and let's not forget Jeopardy! It's a multi-billion dollar business, this playing and watching of games.

There ARE some times we should NOT be playing games. Funerals for example, That would be bad. Taking a knee for our national anthem is another. Sometimes people want to play games when the rest of us don't. Seems like we always have to make a game out of everything.

There are not a lot of games in the Bible, but people did "cast lots" for things. That's a kind of game. People also "ran the race" and "fought the good fight."

"8 So the men arose and went, and Joshua charged those who went to write the description of the land, saying, “Go up and down in the land and write a description and return to me. And I will cast lots for you here before the Lord in Shiloh.” 9 So the men went and passed up and down in the land and wrote in a book a description of it by towns in seven divisions. Then they came to Joshua to the camp at Shiloh, 10 and Joshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before the Lord. And there Joshua apportioned the land to the people of Israel, to each his portion. " - Joshua 18:6-10

Life is not a game, although some people treat is like one. Life should be about loving God and honoring Him by love others. Let's be clear, there are "winners" and "losers" in the Bible. They're called "the sheep and the goats." You don't want to be a goat.

Games People Play - Joe South