Monday, November 23, 2009

play to win...

Eyes roll, bodies shift, and long sighs ending with snickers accompany my suggestion of a friendly game after dinner. I'm a board game junkie. I'll play anything, anytime, anywhere. But lately I've been really struggling with my competitive reputation. Do I deserve the reputation of Killa'?* Yes. Yes, I do. But I've been feeling condemned about it by my friends and family... until I read 1 Timothy 6:12 again, Fight the good fight of faith.

There is nothing worse than seeing an apathetic boxer enter the ring before a fight. There is nothing worse than seeing a dejected basketball team in the last few minutes of a game. There's nothing worse than people believing, It's just a game! No, people, IT'S NOT JUST A GAME.

If I run a mile, I run to win. If I study for an exam, I study for an A. If I play Monopoly, I play with the aspirations of building multiple hotels and charging you rent every time you land on my Boardwalk estate. I don't understand when people laugh when I repossess their property to pay rent. Hello?! You just became homeless, fool! But that's the way many Christians play the game of Life.

There's nothing worse than an apathetic Christian's approach their devotional time. There's nothing worse than a dejected Christian professing to have joy. There's nothing worse than Christians believing this is nothing more than a game. No, people, THIS IS NOT JUST A GAME! If you are called to suffer, suffer well to the glory of God. If you're successful, be successful unto the glory of God. If you're alone, utilize this time unto the glory of God. If you're competitive and your friends think you take board games too seriously, tell them you play to win, you're fighting the good fight, and you expect the rent on Park Place to be paid in full.

*In a heated Scrabble game with a friend, I busted out a Latin word for a rockin' 36 points and gloated for the next hour. Father, forgive my sins.
*In a heated game of Pit, I elbowed my brother-in-law in a reach-to-the-finish dash for the stock pile. Father, forgive my sins.
*In a heated card game of speed [on my first youth event], I screamed at a youth and accused her of cheating. Father, forgive my sins.

26 comments:

Anonymous said...

You're crazy...good post anyway! Happy Monday! Praying for your week!

-j

christy said...

Totally agree...i get so mad at myself sometimes when I my passion dies down or i get busy with life and let my devotional life fall down by the wayside...I need to live life with passion and motivation for Christ!

You know your posts always help to get me back in the race when I have gone off course...so THANKS!

Diandra Ann said...

Oh I sooooo challenge you to something. Anything. Board game I mean. I LOVE them. Don't even get me started on Clue... I have a system of checks and marks and will KICK YOUR BUTT! Seriously. And Ive accused my teens of cheating. I stopped playing games for a year with them because I had to check myself and my competitiveness... oops :)

Renay. said...

Ok, ok, you've hit me where it hurts. Hi, my name is Renay and I'm a soar loser. My drug...I mean game of choice is Pictionary and I have also had to refuse to attend and/or play games at "game night" gatherings because I have been told to "be nice." Umm, well, draw something that looks like the word/phrase indicated and I will!
Aside from that, great application B! I have issues with my spiritual self-discipline and busyness and technology (i.e. my cell and internet mostly) have been my competitors. But thanks for the exhortation, because I truely want to play to win! Love you!

Brianna said...

Bianca, you are the most UN-christian game player I know!!! ha.

Bianca said...

Just for the record y'all, I'm TOTALLY Christ-like when I play board games.

Don't you remember Jesus overturned tables and yelled at people? See! I'm TOTALLY like Jesus when I play games :)

Annie said...

Okay, (A) -- I LOVE YOU!

Second, I often go between letting The Boy win a couple rounds to "boost" his self-esteem and going all out to win. I mean, isn't playing a game to win THE POINT!? The Hubs seems to disagree sometimes. I told him "How will The Boy learn to win AND lose with grace?"

(C) -- I'm not that big of a board game fan, but I would LOVE to challenge you to a game of APPLES TO APPLES! Let's get the Sidles in there ... it's ON like DONKEY-KONG!

Dana said...

Very HILARIOUS!

Anonymous said...

Ken and I are *KINDA* (kinda= ALL OUT) Competitive! Bianca... come to Spokane!! Let's have game night. But don't say you haven't been warned.

This summer at my husband's company picnic during a "friendly" volleyball game we "challenged" the other team for rules violations. And wouldn't back down. Father forgive our sins. ;)

BeatrizH said...

Bianca, I love your blog, this one was hilarious. I love how you live with passion.
Beatriz

Unique said...

I was that youth!!!! Ahaahaha, and although it was a bit creepy when the room fell silent when you LOST, it was fun. It just made the WIN feel better ;)

melissa said...

Ooooh I can totally relate to the obnoxious...ahem, I mean, HARD-core-playin-to-win mentality! I scream so loud my kids cry....I've gotten better!!!! :)

But in all reality, I do want to be on fire for the Lord. I really do.

This actually hits home right now in a different way...What I need to learn most, is playing to win, and allowing others to win too. I don't want to be the only one to cross the finish line, alone, because I've left everyone in the dust. This actually applies mostly to my husband...having been raised in a Christian home I "know" aka I "think i know" more about the Bible and sometimes leave him in the dust when he has questions or is pondering the Word himself...I get upset and impatient with my C'MMMOOON! already attitude. So pray that I would slow down a little so I can run the race alongside my husband, not ahead of him! :) And to do so with love...my competetive spirit sometimes forgets that four letter word! :) Just ask him about our tennis matches!

Lyndsay Almeida said...

you are AWESOME!!! :)

Marisa said...

i knew i liked you. we would be great friends if we lived near each other (although hair might fly if we ever played a board game together). we should definitely get together :)

Laurel said...

Great post! You can definitely be one of our "adopted big kids" now ... because you'll fit right in.

We have hard-core game nights. Like ... from 8 pm - 8 am. Then we feed everyone breakfast before they go home.

Do you play Nertz? Oh that one can get vicious. How about Hand & Foot. My dear sweet hubby got so ticked off the other night (umm ... yea ... he's a pastor) that my 2 teens and I were totally cracking up at him. I was crying from laughing so hard.

So, come play with us, laugh with us, and cry with us ... anytime.

Laurel

Kayla said...

This is soooooooo good. I've always felt like life has issued me a challenge and I need to step up and respond to it, but the "Christian world" always looks at me like I'm kind of a freak.

So I try to tone it down.

And then I'm a restless grouch.

Josh said...

HA! I had to laugh as I read this. My sister-in-law wouldn't let me and my brother play Monopoly in their house for a while. We'd get ruthless (in a holy way of course). LOL

D to tha G said...

This post was real funny. You yelled at a youth?? HAHA Good for you! Last time we had Wii night with the youth I made sure I beat every single one of them at Home Run Derby.
At home it's a different story, my daughter is soooooo competitive that she is the president of the SORE LOSER'S CLUB, so I have to give in and let her get some W's.

On the real tho as competitive as we can get when playing a board game, sport, etc - our Christian life should be the same way. Going all out for the Lord in everything we are called to do - devotion, worship, helping and loving others, etc. Run the good race to WIN! You can't win a race with a mediocre run.
Awesome post - really spoke to my heart.

BTW if you would ever like to get down on a game of tether ball.....holla at cha boy.

Unknown said...

I laughed, and was touched by this all together. Amazing how God works.

Mary Marantz said...

LOL!!! You & Justin's entire family would be life bff. Forever. :) :)

Maribel said...

Friday night, game night...it's ON!!!

Amanda said...

Ha. We were just discussing this last night over dinner with Pastor Randy and his wife jeannette. We were talking about how competitive I am. Saturday I was at a youth's birthday and we played volleyball and I disowned my brother and made him play on the other team...I like to win...Father forgive my sins. I really like your post. I need to apply that in every aspect of my life. The Lord has been really speaking to me about some areas in my life that need to be conquered. I want to play to win..

Bianca said...

Uh oh! With all these game-night invitations, I may just have to bust out my butt-kicking high heels on y'all.

FYI: I'm trying not to get heated anymore. Promise! I want to lose with grace... if I ever loose.

Anonymous said...

"I want to lose with grace... if I ever loose." -B.J.
Father forgive her. :P hahahhaaaaa!!!

Anonymous said...

That was awesome!! I love your blog!! You always have a way to say the things that need to be said but in a fun and loving way! I'm blessed to be able to read these. And a special thanks for this one cuz I really needed it!!

Beth said...

"Hello?! You just became homeless, fool!" - Hahaha! I'll never play Monopoly in the same way again!

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