Here in America there are a lot of people going for all the marbles.
Last night the Clemson Tigers won the NCAA College Football Championship by defeating and dethroning number 1 ranked Alabama. It was a thrilla’!
A few nights ago actors competed for their much coveted Golden Gloves Award. Then something happened, the actress receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award used her speech to get political. That made no sense whatsoever. She got an award she would only receive once in her life and she wasted her one and only speech on something inconsequential and not related to the joy of the award. Crazy!
Regardless… we want to get to the top of everything we do: games, grades, advancements at work, competitions, skills. We want to win it all and then, maybe, look back at everyone else and whisper, ‘Booyeah’ (like killing a performance on stage, dropping the mike, and walking away).
The motivation of winning is in our DNA. God prewired us for it.
When I was a kid I’d bring all my priced marbles to the Marble Arena (a drawn circle in the dirt). My opponent would then put a few of his marbles in the circle, as would I, and then with incredible skill I would nestle my Destroyer marble on the inside of my bent pointer finger and accurately flick it into the arena of play to knock all of the other kid’s marbles outside the ring. Those I knocked out would become mine.
My goal? Take home everyone else’s marbles and walk proudly with a giant grin. When I lost, I took the walk of shame all the way to my room (this would be a great place for a sad, tearful emoji). But I always played for all the marbles!
Today I don’t know what happened to all those prized marbles. I guess that as I grew older I gave up on that which I once coveted. I don’t play marbles anymore but I still want to win at anything I do. I’m sure you do as well.
If I may, I want to ask you a question that I ask myself, what shape is your marble today? What’s it made out of? What does it look like? Is it a salary figure? A toy like a boat or a sweet looking car? What do you cherish? Popularity? Recognition? Success?
When I publish my book Hecklers In Your Choir this year I want a lot of people to get it because I know they will receive a huge blessing and encouragement through it.
Having goals and dreaming big is part of the joy of life. But there’s something bigger, shinier, and more valuable coming our way that we don’t want to miss out on. Check out Jesus’ words to all of us following Him as Savior,
Don’t be afraid of missing out. You’re my dearest friends! The Father wants to give you the very kingdom itself. Luke 12:32 (MSG)
It doesn’t get any bigger or better than God’s Kingdom!
Whatever marbles we get down here, what we achieve on earth, will eventually vanish. Live, go after, strive for that which will last forever, heaven!
If you’re playing for all the marbles, why not go after the BIG PRIZE itself? It’s all found when you chose to follow Jesus Christ.
When you give the Lord all you’ve got He, in return, gives you all He’s got. It’s a win-win deal.
You have absolutely nothing to lose with Christ and in the end you’ll find yourself home with all the marbles.
Please leave me a comment.
I loved this.. my only fun growing up was mud pies, I had no competition making a beautiful pie for my dog. lol Today I still can
not even make a pie crust. But I did get rid of all the mud in my life. I have because of my belief in Christ.
Great vivid word picture of making mud pies, Georgia. Thank you for that. Christ cleaned out the mud in your life, YES! Thankfully part of our heavenly marbles, I believe, will include incredibly tasking pies with amazing pie crusts up in heaven where we’re going. LOL.
I love reading your posts, Pastor! You have such a wonderful way of putting things in perspective and your posts are an extension of your sermons. Letting go of some of my marbles (lol) made me feel like a failure, but your words confirm there’s a much bigger marble that awaits. Praise God!…
Amen, Kathy, the BIGGER MARBLE is the One we want for sure!!
Always incredible and uplifting. Thank You
Thank you so much, John!
The things that seemed so important to you earlier in your life fall way short of the blessings you receive when you accept Jesus and become part of God’s family! As you said, Jorge, we have eternity in heaven to look forward to! Sure, we can still enjoy our ‘marbles’ while we are still on earth. However, when we are called home to heaven, we will take nothing with us, but we will gain everything!
Well said, Jim. We leave empty handed but we gain THE WORLD!