Eph 6:13
3 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
I played a game of chess with my husband today, and God spoke to me in it. I’m not very good at chess. As the game progressed, I made my plans to capture the enemy king. I got him pinned on two sides, but couldn’t seem to close his escape. It is like my life—I can manage my home, but I drop school. I can engage with my kids, but I drop cleaning. I can meal plan and provide good nutrition, but I drop the ball on living full of grace. And my pieces keep getting taken.
It reminds me of how so many lives go. We don’t take care of our bodies, and we become sick, doing some of things that we might have becomes hard. We lose our rook. We don’t take care of our thoughts, and the ability to think clearly and take our thoughts captive diminishes. We lose our queen. It looks like the game is over, might as well tip our king and be done with it.
That was how the chess game was going for me. It’s annoying to lose; playing is tedious, humiliating. But, for learning sake, we played it to the bitter end, though it seemed obvious to me that with one pon and my king, it was hopeless. I ran for a corner, hoping against hope to turn that pon into a queen. Sure enough, the pon was taken as soon as it arrived.
By then, I was pinned. My king was not in check, but couldn’t move without going into check. A stalemate—my opponent had failed to conquer.
It occurred to me that this is all God is asking me to do, in some circumstances. Victorious living can be just playing to the end and refusing to be taken. I may make foolish choices that seem to strip me of my weapons. But I know that I cannot be taken, Christ assures this. My call is to stand. I find great comfort in the Lord’s words to the church of Philadelphia:
Rev 3:8-12
I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name… Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth. I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.
3 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
I played a game of chess with my husband today, and God spoke to me in it. I’m not very good at chess. As the game progressed, I made my plans to capture the enemy king. I got him pinned on two sides, but couldn’t seem to close his escape. It is like my life—I can manage my home, but I drop school. I can engage with my kids, but I drop cleaning. I can meal plan and provide good nutrition, but I drop the ball on living full of grace. And my pieces keep getting taken.
It reminds me of how so many lives go. We don’t take care of our bodies, and we become sick, doing some of things that we might have becomes hard. We lose our rook. We don’t take care of our thoughts, and the ability to think clearly and take our thoughts captive diminishes. We lose our queen. It looks like the game is over, might as well tip our king and be done with it.
That was how the chess game was going for me. It’s annoying to lose; playing is tedious, humiliating. But, for learning sake, we played it to the bitter end, though it seemed obvious to me that with one pon and my king, it was hopeless. I ran for a corner, hoping against hope to turn that pon into a queen. Sure enough, the pon was taken as soon as it arrived.
By then, I was pinned. My king was not in check, but couldn’t move without going into check. A stalemate—my opponent had failed to conquer.
It occurred to me that this is all God is asking me to do, in some circumstances. Victorious living can be just playing to the end and refusing to be taken. I may make foolish choices that seem to strip me of my weapons. But I know that I cannot be taken, Christ assures this. My call is to stand. I find great comfort in the Lord’s words to the church of Philadelphia:
Rev 3:8-12
I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name… Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth. I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.
1 comment:
Cool example. And I love the scripture at the end.
Post a Comment