“I admit that I haven’t yet acquired the absolute fullness that I’m pursuing, but I run with passion into his abundance so that I may reach the purpose for which Christ Jesus laid hold of me to make me his own. … I run straight for the divine invitation of reaching the heavenly goal and gaining the victory-prize through the anointing of Jesus.” — Philippians 3:12, 14 (TPT)
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What is our endgame as Christians?
God’s endgame for our first half on earth is to become more like Jesus every day. Right now we are spiritual beings having a human experience. We operate in temporary physical bodies, which will one day fade away. For now, we suit up every day for the game of life. Just like any game, we will make mistakes, have circumstances that aren’t in our favor, and experience setbacks that may look final. But the battles we face are temporary, and serve to refine us and prepare us for our specific role on His team.
Our first-half assignment is to become conformed to His image a little more each day. “And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:18).
For now, we live and operate in the natural realm. But for Christians, the ultimate endgame is spending eternity in Heaven and walking hand in hand with our King of kings. The second half is where we will all experience the ultimate victory.
A couple months ago, I walked into an absolutely packed gym in our small, East Texas community. However, the gym wasn’t packed for the big rivalry game or the long-awaited championship showdown with our rival down the road. The overflowing crowd had assembled this January afternoon for a celebration of life service for a much-beloved coach in our community who had her young life cut short by cancer at the age of 41.
For me personally, she was my family, my player, my colleague, my friend. Coach Jessica Burgin was one of those coaches who left a lasting impact across generations. She had been a part of countless victory celebrations in that same gym we gathered in that day, both as a player and as a coach.
But on this day, she had already won the ultimate victory. Though I still struggle to fully grasp it, what I do know is that she won the endgame before the rest of us. Today, she is in the presence of Jesus, worshiping Him face to face.
There are moments when surrender seems tempting, as if the enemy is gaining ground. Yet, even in times when our assignment seems too hard, we need to anchor ourselves in the certainty that God never loses a battle. God wins. He can make a way where there seems to be no way.
Because Jesus died for our sins and rose again, the endgame has already been won. Death is defeated, the King is alive! As Psalm 27:1 puts it, “The Lord is my light and my salvation — whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life — of whom shall I be afraid?”
Are you suited up for a game that ends or are you suited up for the endgame?
— Melissa Motes
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