If life's a game, what are the rules?

They say "life is a game" or "it's a rat race out there..." Sounds familiar?

Well, but if life is really a game to some extent, then there's probably some kind of game rules. No game proceeds without rules. Yet what kind of rules should we abide by?

It's so easy to announce - I play by my own rules and no one else! But all too easily, we may just realise one day that this is a statement made in ignorance, if not arrogance.

If God is the creator of this world and of mankind, surely he will have certain rules that mankind must live by - as opposed to living as the world dictates, when we know that the world has turned against God right from the start of mankind.

So then, we can look at "Game Theory". This theory has been investigated by the best minds over history. The brilliant mathematician, John von Neumann, inventor of the modern computer and co-developer of the atom bomb, investigated the case of Zero-Sum games, where one person's win is another person's loss.

In zero-sum games, gains and losses balance out to a final sum of zero. For example, chess is a zero sum game. There is always one who wins and the other who loses. The world's rules is like a zero-sum game. It is all so logical - for the rich indeed do get richer, while the poor get poorer. In business, one man's win may be another man's loss. Or, you might have heard of the familiar concept of maximising our gains and minimising our losses.

But if life were to be based on that principle, wouldn't it be sad if you happened to find yourself on the losing end? There's no way out. Stuck in your rut. Your fate. or so it seems...

On the contrary, there are another kinds of games --- the "non-zero-sum" games. For example, Monopoly is a non-zero-sum game: All participants can win property from the bank. If all players cooperated, they all can get richer although this is not the true intent of the game.

God's game rules are like that. It's no longer the winner versus the loser, but whether we want to play by his rules for a win-win solution.

God's rules are actually so simple. Love God. Love your neighbour. Yet we don't. He has already has given us the 'manual' - the bible - all we have to do is read it and do what it says - yet we don't.

God is already the overcomer against the devil. All we have to do is follow Him.

His statutes for living a holy life is stated in the bible loud and clear. If we cooperated with it, we would be winners. We would gain the ultimate prize of eternal life. But do we?

Most of the time, we are happy just playing by the world's rules. One that is all so logical. And you have winners and losers. Sometimes we settle into acceptance of our 'fates'. People comment - ah, its ok, i'm going to hell anyway.

But didn't they realise, that all they need to do is turn around and seek God and they won't have to be 'destined for hell'?

Playing by the world's rules is not easy. We struggle because most of the time, we never have enough, are never satisfied, are never totally successful... there's always more, more, more...

Even more, it seems all the more difficult playing God's game and by God's rules because we've been so accustomed to this world's rules! God's rules seems only fit for the super-pious people. Yet, it is meant for all humanity!

When we could have been overcomers with Christ in a win-win situation, alas, we have settled for a win-lose situation. Is this the life we really want?

People say, I can get on in this life without having to believe in Christ or follow what the bible says. But we lose out on the eternal because we've been so short-sighted!

For this I cry in my heart.

Yet, I also know that my heart is not strong. My faith wavers. I realise, how I need God's light and guidance so much, every day!

Galatians 5:17 (New International Version)
For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.

Final note:
There's a notion that we are all zeros, while God is the number 1. With Him beside us, we multiply easily to a ten, a hundred, and even millions. But without him, our lives are empty. So then, what makes us all winners - is when we are together with God.