The Game of Life
There’s nothing more inspiring than watching a runner fall mid-race only to rise, regain momentum, and sprint past the finishing line to win against all odds. We’ve seen it in Olympic games, an athlete stumbles or crashes against a hurdle, then suddenly they’re on the ground.
But then, something remarkable happens. They get back up. They refuse to let the fall define their race.
And somehow, miraculously, they go on to win.
Life works the same way. Setbacks, delays, detours, and disappointments are not the end of your story. They are simply moments in the middle, not the conclusion. What matters isn’t whether you fell but whether you rise again.
Life Is Like a Game
Scripture often uses athletic imagery to describe the journey of life. The writer of Hebrews says:
“Let us run with endurance the race set before us…” (Hebrews 12:1)
Just like today, people in the ancient world understood this imagery of the Olympic games. It’s the same message today – life is like a game, or a race with a course that has been uniquely set before you. Except, the goal isn’t to outrun anyone else, your only competition is who you were yesterday. In the Game of Life the rules of winning remain the same for everyone.
1. Choose to Get Back Up
Every athlete knows that falling isn’t failure but staying down is. In the same way, life will hand you moments that feel like defeat. But winners rise. They get back on their feet, shake off the dust, and they get back into the race. The comeback always begins with a choice. A choice to stand up again, to keep running and keep believing there’s still something ahead worth pursuing.
2. Prepare for Success
Winning athletes don’t stumble into victory. They prepare for it mentally, physically, spiritually and emotionally. Even after injury or setback, they return to the training ground with renewed discipline. Because you cannot plan for success while preparing for failure. In life, preparation looks like:
- strengthening your mindset
- upgrading your habits
- building resilience
- investing in your personal growth
When you prepare, you raise your internal standard. You build the character required for the level you desire. Success is prepared for in private long before it is celebrated in public.
3. See the Finish Before You Get There
Elite athletes visualise winning long before they ever step onto the track. They play the race in their mind, imagine the victory and feel the emotion of crossing the line. That’s because the subconscious mind needs to see it internally before you can experience it externally. Your mind is the control centre of your life. Seeing the finish – the better future God has for you – trains your inner world to expect success.
You Can Still Win
Like the sprinter who falls, the win doesn’t come from perfection, it comes from persistence. It comes from choosing to rise, choosing to train, choosing to see victory even when circumstances tell another story.
Remember, your race is your race. You’re not competing with anyone else’s pace, progress, or path. Life may not always go according to plan, but with faith, resilience, and vision – you can still win.
