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I learned to play cards from my mother.  She, in turn, had learned from her mother and father – there wasn’t much to do in Venus, Florida, when the sun went down.  The card games were times to relax, talk, snack, and have fun.  There was a lesson or two along the way as well:

• Pay attention to the game.  My brother was a master of distraction.  I was gullible.  He would call my attention to non-existent bugs or start telling stories about escaped convicts on the news to stoke my fears and distract me. 

How many times does Satan use the same tactic?  He plays on your fears and worries to distract you from what really matters.

• Remember what has happened.  This is still my biggest weakness playing a game.  I forget which card has been played and which card is still out there.

It helps to remember what God has done for you.  When you remember how He saw through a crisis in the past, you can remember to trust Him with the crisis of today.

• You got to know when to hold ‘em, and know when to fold ‘em.  Okay, I stole that line from Kenny Rogers.  But the truth still holds.  Every game teaches you a little bit more about making a decision.  You learn risk and reward.  You learn that there is a time to push and a time to back away. 

Look at the ministry of Jesus and you learn an amazing reality – He did not fight every battle that could be fought.  He fought only the battles He knew He was meant to win.

• You’ve got to learn to lose.  I was a sore loser.  When I lost, I would throw my cards on the floor, cry, beat my fists on the floor and scream about how unfair it was, that my brother and mother always won.  Then I turned 40, and that didn’t seem to be right to act anymore.

Nobody gets everything they want.  Even God has to endure people He loves turning their back on Him.  Learn to lose.  Learn to let go.  Learn to move on to the next game.  There is something you can win at.

This Sunday, we start a new series of messages entitled “The Games of Life.”  God has some things to teach you – I hope you will come.