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My second job choice is going to be game show host. I grew up watching game shows on television during the daytime in the summers. My favorite of all time is Lets Make a Deal. As I watched this show I thought it would be great to be Monty Hall walking around the room and giving money out to people dressed in all kinds of crazy get ups. He would give out cash one minute and then the next minute he would be giving someone a donkey behind box number one where the infamous Carol Merrill was standing. Yes, indeed, Monty Hall and Lets Make a Deal, that life is for me.

I got to thinking about some of the old game shows and decided that many people today have some game show theology. Here are few, see if you find yourself in them:

• Let’s Make a Deal: This theology has us making deals with God. We say to God if you will do this I will do what you want me to. Or we say if you get me out of this mess God I will do what is right for now on. We turn God into some kind of Jeanie in a bottle instead of the creator of the universe.
• Truth or Consequences: With this theology we know the truth but do what we want anyway hoping that the consequences will not be too bad. With this we gamble that our disobedience will not cost us too much. Not a good plan.
• Password: Here we take a word from someone else and turn it into our own version of the story. We pass the word on sure, but it is not the word that was originally given. As a matter of fact more than likely the original word does not need to be passed on at all only hurting innocent people. This is one of the worst theology’s of all and unfortunately most used within the church.
• Family Feud: This is not so much a theology as it is a way of life for many. We call upon the name of Christ but are in constant turmoil with the most important relationship we have, our family. We feud over the most insignificant of things and then refuse to speak or deal with that person for the next several years. Checking out the Bible you can see that this is probably the longest running game show of all.
• Jeopardy: We put our eternal destiny in jeopardy by ignoring the importance of having a relationship with Jesus Christ. Many put this decision off thinking that they will get it right some day. Most of the time ‘some day’ never comes, thus putting eternity in serious jeopardy.

In the game show world you might win money, a trip or even a new car. Or you might win nothing at all. In the game of life the consequences are far more serious and each day holds for us a clear win or loss.

When we choose to stop playing games with our spiritual life our chances of winning at the important aspects of life will greatly improve!

Scripture: Romans 15:13. “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Prayer: Dear Lord, because we are tempted to play games in life help us to take seriously the most important things. Help us to live our lives for you all week long, you are a great God and we ask these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen