Have you ever been told to “play the long game”? What does it mean?

I looked it up in the Cambridge online dictionary: “to plan and do things that will help you to be successful far into the future, rather than only thinking about the present or near future.”

This is hard in a culture of now, now, now and of instant gratification. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t important. Let me provide a few examples.

In high school do you choose courses that are easiest, or ones that will direct you toward your future career? With the environment, do you want to pour toxins into the river because it’s the cheapest disposal option, or do you want to think of strategies that will make life healthier for our grandchildren? In parenting, do you want to make life as easy as possible for your children in the here and now, or do you want to build character so they can be resilient for whatever life throws their way?

One of the most striking examples of the importance of keeping the big picture in view is found in Ezekiel 37. The prophet is told by God to prophesy over a bunch of dry bones. They rattle together, reconstitute, and grow flesh. “So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army” (verse 10). 

At that time, God’s people were living in exile. For many, hope was lost. But this prophecy told them that they as a people would come back to life. In the future, they would be restored as a nation in their homeland. 

In the meantime, they should remain faithful, day by day, and seek the well-being of others in their current situation. (See Jeremiah 29:7).

Perhaps this is a message you need to hear as well. 

Is your current situation difficult? In Christ, know that your current chapter isn’t your only chapter, and it certainly isn’t the last chapter. Be faithful, day by day, and seek the well-being of those around you.

Since God never loses, in the end, neither will you.

Therefore, play the long game.

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Notes and extra content:

–“Playing the Long Game in a World of Now Now Now.” Sermon. July 21, 2024. Click here.
–Bible quotes are from the NIV.