From Hopscotch to Holiness

14 From Hopscotch To HolinessWINNING AT HOPSCOTCH AND LIFEThere are rules for the game of hopscotch. In order to win the game,everyone must agree to the rules and understand how to win the game.The goal of the game of hopscotch is to be the first to hop all the waythrough the grid. The rules don’t leave any space for grace. The goal issimply to win.In our daily lives, we can also get so caught up in the world’s rules thatwe forget what our true goal as Christians is. Knowing your goal in lifehas real impact on your daily decisions. Have you thought recently aboutyour goal in life? So much of my spiritual life revolves around prayer. So,my first thoughts centered on evaluating my goals in prayer.What is your goal in prayer? That is not an idle question. How you defineprayer will dramatically affect your practice of prayer. Some peopledefine effective prayer by the results they attain. If they pray and receivethe results they desire, they feel affirmed in prayer. Perhaps you’veexperienced that mindset: “I prayed for healing, a new job, a change inmy marriage, etc. and God answered my prayer just as I desired.” I loveanswered prayer as much as anyone. But I choose not to define effectiveprayer in that light. In life, we win or lose by the choices we make. I chooseto define prayer as a relationship with God that grows and matures overtime. The practice of prayer, for me, emphasizes intimacy with God. Imake seeking God’s presence my ultimate goal. When I encounter God inprayer I am always changed and transformed. By God’s grace, I am dailybecoming more like Christ.What is your goal in life? That is a challenging question. I’d answer itthis way. I want to live a life that exemplifies Christ. I want to live likeChrist, love like Christ, and give sacrificially like Christ. I want to be anexample to others that leads them to Christ’s power for their own lives.