I am grateful to God that my siblings and I were raised by God fearing parents that instilled Godly principles in us, showing us, even by example, the importance of loving God and our neighbors regardless of how people responded to us. This foundation, coupled with personal experiences and majorly by the help of the Holy Spirit, culminated into the following realization, that “Life on earth is a game, both of marathon and warfare, and walking in love is a key ingredient for success.

The game of life was created by God for His pleasure, Revelations 4:11 …for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created…… Therefore, syncing our thoughts with God’s thoughts is crucial since His thoughts for us are thoughts of good and not of evil, to bring us to that destination which He Himself envisioned for us. Jeremiah 29:11. Our minds serve as board rooms and control rooms since every human action starts from the mind. Hence, it’s crucial to keep our hearts with all diligence, for out of it comes the issues of life. Proverbs 4:23

The game of life is governed by the spiritual law in Genesis 8:22. “While the earth remains, Seed time and harvest, Cold and heat, Winter and summer, and day and night Shall not cease.” This typically tells me that every action will trigger a response and every response becomes an action. When the response is good, we call it a reward and conversely, a consequence… and this continues in an endless loop. When the response is good, we call it a reward, and conversely, a consequence

Jesus summarized all our guidelines for this game of life, in Matthew 22:37-40 37 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 helps elucidate the complexity of love, yet simple. By the way, the love in this context is not the noun, rather it’s the verb which denotes action! And It says, 4Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, it’s not puffed up or prideful; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, it’s not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love helps us respond rather than react. We are being controlled when we react, and in control when we respond. Anger, offense, sadness, fear etcetera are reactions. In other words, love helps us overcome victim mentality. We react because we’re caught by surprise (victim), we respond when we’re prepared or warned of what’s coming.

To love is a command whether we like our neighbor or not. It’s even harder, when God now requires us to love our enemies. In Matthew 5:44., the bible says, 44But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you. Proverbs 24: 17-18 17 even takes it further. ”Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, (I thought that was scary) And do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles; 18 Lest the LORD see it, and [a]it displease Him……

It is also pertinent to note that love is proof that we are born of God and know Him. 1 John 4:7-8 7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. If we have love, we have God and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty 2 Corinthians 3: 17.

In conclusion, running a successful race or wining a fight, requires focus, or should I say requires that we are not distracted even by the cares of this world. To clear our minds off distraction requires serious discipline and this is easily achieved if God Himself is keeping us in perfect peace, thereby saving us from the world. Isaiah 26:3, He will keep him in perfect peace, he whose mind is stayed on Him. We can only dwell in Him if we love Him. We must press on in love, and with renewed minds, that we may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has already prepared for us.

So, therefore let us run this race, not with uncertainty; and fight, not as one who beats the air that we may emerge victorious when we finish our race. Remember that life on earth is a game both of marathon and warfare and walking in love is a key ingredient for success. God is love, walking in love is proof that he dwells in us and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty; liberty from obstacles; liberty to excel

Jesus Is Lord!