“Every next level of your life will demand a different version of you.” (Anonymous)
“Snakes and Ladders” is an ancient Indian board game. It is played between two or more players on the numbered, gridded squares of a game. Several ladders and snakes are pictured on the board. They connect two specific board squares.The object of the game is to steer one's game piece (according to the roll of a dice) from the start (bottom square) to the finish (top square). The player is helped or hindered by the ladders and snakes.
The game is a simple race contest based on sheer luck, and is popular with young children. The historic version of this game had roots in morality lessons, where a player's progression up the board represented a life journey complicated by virtues (ladders) and vices (snakes).
The game made its way to Victorian England in 1892, and was sold as “Snakes and Ladders.” The basic concept was introduced in the United States as “Chutes and Ladders” (a new improved version of England's famous indoor sport) by game pioneer Milton Bradley in 1943.[i]
Your Christian life is a lot like the game of “Chutes and Ladders.” If you don’t make some definite moves as a Christian to the next level of your spiritual walk (out of your comfort zone), you remain stuck and of no use to your Heavenly Father for the rest of your life.
The four levels of the Christian experience (in the correct order) include the following. Where are you right now?
· Exploring the Christian faith
· Growing as you follow Jesus
· Close to living a spirit-lead life
· Jesus-Centered is the way all life decisions are made
How can someone move beyond (level one) “Exploring?”
1. Look at Jesus, listen to Him, and allow the Savior into your heart (to do His work).
“Look, I’m standing at the door and knocking. If anyone listens to my voice and opens the door, I’ll come in and we’ll eat together.” (Revelation 3:20, GW)
“I thought I was broke and needed fixing. Not true! I was hurt and needed healing: a completely different concept.” (SusanWaters.com)
2. There are no coincidences you are at this point in your life right now. (God ordained it to be so.) Your Heavenly Father is not offended by your questions about Him. (In fact, He encourages it.). Make sure you get your opinion of God from the Bible, and not imperfect Christians.
“No one can oppose you because you have the power to do what you want.” (Job 42:2, CEV)
“Coincidence is God’s way of remaining anonymous.” (Albert Einstein)
“You are not lonely. God is just separating you from people who can’t go to the next level with you.” (Keith Sweat)[ii]
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| The Chutes and Ladders Game |
[i] In the original Indian game the squares of virtue are: faith, reliability, generosity, knowledge, and simplicity. The squares of evil are: disobedience, vanity, vulgarity, theft, lying, drunkenness, debt, murder, rage, greed, pride, and lust.
The Victorian version of the game the squares of virtue are: fulfillment, grace, success, thrift, penitence, and Industry. The squares of evil are: extravagance, disobedience, laziness, disgrace, and poverty were also learned.
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