I was playing one of the Mario Brothers video games with my kids the other day, and if you haven’t played it, the basics, and that is the extent of my skill level, are; you move your character across the play area on the screen, or down the paths, and avoid obstacles and attacks along the way. There are a variety of controls and techniques to get a higher score, but as a novice, my kids showed me how to move around, and showed me the “bubble” button, for use if you are in a completely terrible situation. When you hit the “bubble” button, a bubble forms around your character, and you cannot be destroyed, you float to another part of the screen and you can exit from the bubble. I thought, “great remember that button”. The other thing I learned, early on, is that if you get too far off the path, you fall into oblivion, but as long as you have lives available, you return to the game in the bubble and can keep playing.

I started to think a little about how life as a Christian, has similarities to this game. We move around in our lives trying to follow the rules, or sometimes we don’t. When terrible things may happen, our “bubble” button is reaching out to God in prayer. If we do this in faith and trust in Him, he will never give us a temptation more than we can handle, as written in 1 Corinthians 10:13, “He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.”

When we get off the path God desires for us, we to can return to the game, restored. All we need to do is repent, and we will be returned to good standing with God. 1 John 1:9 says, “But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.”

Just like in the video game, it is much more fun when we stay on the right path, and use the defenses God has given us, faith, the bible, and fellowship with other Christians, rather than needing to be rescued from our own mistakes, or forgiveness from leaving the path, but God can save us from those things also.

Dear Lord, We know life is not quite as simple as the video games, but we know you are there for us always, to help us if we ask. Remind us of your presence, so that we may return to the right path, if necessary, and stay on the path you desire for us. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.