DO YOU KNOW THE RULES OF THE GAME?

Among other things, Life is a Game. It has been called a spiritual journey, in contrast, it can even be said to be a battle or a war. It is certainly an education, but it is also a game, and to successfully play the game of life one needs to know the rules.  

Coming from New Zealand where the game of Rugby Union football is a national sport, I had never heard of Australian Rules football. And not knowing the rules, when I first saw the ball being booted back and forth from one end of the field to the other, I thought I was watching some sort of aerial ping pong.  

Life can be like that, and end up being pretty miserable as well, if we are trying to play with the wrong rules. It gets really rough if we think the game should be played according to OUR rules. You can’t play the game of life with any chance of winning without knowing the rules of the game. Let me say that again: 

For you to win in life, you must know & follow the rules.

For this reason many people opt out of the game and sit on the sidelines, going through life as spectators in the stand, watching others play the game. They have never been taught the rules, and in all likelihood would not recognise them as rules of the game if they tripped over them. Conversely, just because a person is winning in one area, doesn't necessarily mean they are winning the overall game. It's a bit like a rugby team that wins all the scrums, or line-outs but still loses the match because they are sadly lacking in other disciplines or techniques of the game.

Most people have grown up without understanding the simple, but profound and powerful techniques that can make all the difference to playing the game of life. These principles are rarely taught in homes, and they are to be found in very few, if any, of our schools, colleges, universities, or even churches. Although these learning institutions claim they are preparing us for our future, what they are really doing is equipping us to FIND the answers, and teaching a skill that will hopefully employ us while we search out the rules we each need to win in life. And this is possibly the very first rule of the game to learn, that it is our own individual responsibility, not someone elses to search. The second rule that follows closely is that—persistent searching will bring rewards!
Jesus, arguably the world’s greatest teacher had this to say, 

“Ask, (and keep on asking), and it will be given to you; seek (and keep on seeking) and you will find; knock,(and keep on knocking) and the door will open.” 

So what was the first thing you learnt to do when you started school? I dare say it had a lot to do with learning to read and write, for these are two of the most important skills you can possibly have in your arsenal when searching for the rules of life and getting them firmly fixed in your mind and your psyche. Many people have turned off to reading because the required reading at school or college was so boring, or even worse, irrelevant. I have heard so many people say, “I never want to see or read another book in my life.” This is a deluding trick in the game to divert you from searching, for the right books and reading material that will bring light and understanding about the rules of the game for you. If you are prepared to commit yourself to reading 20 or 30 minutes a day with the goal of finding these game rules, pretty soon you can have your very own impressive list of “Rules to Live By”, “Character Traits and Values to Grow By”, or “Keys to Winning” in the great Game of Life. 

As to what you should read, once you have a password to login on the HOME PAGE, a quick look around this website will reveal a number of suggested titles to consider. My own personal recommendation is the Bible, which has been called the book of “Basic Information Before Leaving Earth”. While many consider the book to be just a collection of very restricting laws and regulations, others refer to it as the Maker's Handbook. Generation after generation, no matter what develops in the way of knowledge and science, the Bible is read by more people than any other book. Humanity rightly has more confidence in it than any other document ever written.  An honest appraisal will reveal a great deal of valuable information, and insights from the wisdom and lives of numerous quality contributors with varied back-grounds, from farmers, fishermen and shepherds to diplomats, teachers and kings and ranging over nearly two thousand years. Because it is in effect a collection of books, a good place to start is the Old Testament book of "Proverbs" that usefully provides a chapter for every day of the month. For more leadership principles from the New Testament, a great place to start is with a letter towards the end called "The First Epistle of John". His other contribution in the fourth book, entitled "The Gospel (Good news) according to John" is also a great book to read.

Here is a formula which I believe will help anyone, regard-less of their circumstance. It has the power to re-style your thinking, give you new confidence, and help you to accomplish your goals. Repeat this formula before every challenging action or interview. Believe in it and then marvel at what it will do for you. Here it is: 'If God be for us, who can be against us?' That's right, it came straight out of the Bible from Romans chapter eight. But change it by personalising it so that you say right out loud to your-self: 'If God be for ME, who can be against ME?' If God be for me I know that with God's help I can achieve, and with practise, you will be given power to acomplish all that you set your hand to do.

You may also try asking other successful people what they have read that got them to where they are today. The fact of the matter is, there is a mountain of material to search through, so ask yourself right out loud, “what do I need to read and learn right now to take me forward in my life,” and as you continue your search, see if a book or some material does not quite soon, and almost mysteriously, find its way across your desk, or in some way attract your attention.

Now, in case you haven't read the end of the Book, winning the game is part of your inheritance, but don't squander your inheritance by not taking the time to learn the Rules of the Game. Request a password and login to check out all the 'in-house' material...

The Coach