Have you ever invited someone to play a game, but then they suddenly decide not to play by the rules? Perhaps you’re playing Monopoly and they’re not paying when they land on your property, or maybe stealing an extra turn in Yahtzee or Farkle. Or maybe they’re not drawing four cards when the card drawn says to draw them. in Uno!

Not only is it frustrating, but it makes you want to stop playing or remove them from the game! In life, when people don’t play by the rules, you may also think about discontinuing your play. However, it was your idea to play in the first place! Go ahead and continue to play, but you may need to ask your opponent to forfeit their turns. They may become upset at you and possibly become belligerent. I’ve seen some board games flipped over in an outburst of anger! However, someone who doesn’t want to play by the rules shouldn’t override your passion for playing the game.

As we walk the Christian path, we have been told to follow God’s rules and commands. We don’t get to choose which rules we will follow and the ones we will overlook. The Christian game of ‘Life’ comes with instructions. As you play this game, remember that everyone isn’t sitting down to play with you. People aren’t interested in always playing by the rules. However, those who have decided to engage should follow and obey them.

We must also remember there may be some who are not playing but are watching you play. I would like to encourage you to play by the number one rule: love God and love others. We could all do a lot better obeying these two commands. What are some ways we can practice loving God with our hearts, souls, strength, and minds? What will loving our neighbor as ourselves look like this week? How will we follow the rules and not try to cheat or sidestep God’s commands for the next seven days?