Stay in the Race: Mario Kart Edition

 

Opening:

 Growing up I played Mario Kart pretty competitively against my family members, but I never saw it as more than an ordinary game. The other day as I was driving to work Jesus spoke something to me. He showed me the resemblance of this simple game to our life on earth as Christians. I took out my phone & spoke all these words onto a recording which turned out to be two minutes long. Later during the week in quiet/prayer time I put the words to paper. God took those two minutes & overflowed them into this bible study. 3…2…1…GO!

Compare:

 

Characters & Vehicles                           

1. Each character is completely different in their own way. 

2. Each vehicle has its own perks & downfalls.                                                           

SIMILARLY for …

Each Christian & Their Life 

1. We each have our own unique stories, styles, personalities, plans, gifts, & purposes.

2.  We each have our own areas of strengths & weaknesses, appearances, & speeds.  

    

But we are all in the same race trying to reach the same finish line.

 

Track:

 

• The race track (rode) = God’s path for us.

• There are many different track options.

• The track God has for you may look completely different than the one He has for someone else.

 

Blessings: 

 

• On our track are blue boxes every so many feet.

• These boxes are our blessings

• They are filled with different gifts, things to help us grow, & answers to prayers.

• Also armor & weapons to help us defend ourselves & fight against the enemy.

 

Obstacles: 

• These obstacles include things that will cause us to slip up & make mistakes, such as bananas; things to make us spin out of control & off track, such as turtle shells; & boxes in disguise, red boxes.

• Red boxes appear to be blessings on the outside & look good to the eye, but they are empty & filled with trouble. They stop us in our tracks & slow us down.

• In life we are going to experience obstacles & trials (bumps in the road), but we have to count our blessings.

• There may be a red box here or there, but around every corner there is a new chance for a blue box. Count your blue boxes.

• Be thankful for the growth & strength we get from our obsticals & trials. When we overcome the difficult times the blessings will be so much more rewarding.

 

Different Levels:

 

Beginner tracks Vs. Experienced level tracks.

 

• Stay on the track for your current level.

• Grow in God patiently, not rushing.

• Picture this, it’s your first time playing & you are on Rainbow Road, a really hard track. You are still learning how to control your character & drive your car. Yet, you insisted on this track. You rush the process & end up falling off track. After your defeat you might not have the faith to try again.

 

• In the opposite, it is also not good to stay on the easy level track & refuse to grow. When you can get first place with your eyes closed it might be time to try a harder track.

• God might be calling you to new places or into new things.

• Get out of your comfort zone.

 

What are you racing for?

 

Col 3:2 “set your mind on the things above, not on things that are on this earth.”

 

• In this race we aren’t chasing victories, trophies, or praise on this earth.

• We are in this race competing for things above.

• We are building up our trophies in heaven.

• We are winning medals for God, not for ourselves. 

 

Dangers:

 

Phil 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” 

 

• Don’t let the dangers of the race scare you or the competitors (enemies) intimidate you.

• Don’t doubt your capability to perform with strength, speed, & precision when God is in the car with you.

• 1 Pet 3:14 “& do not fear their (the enemies) intimidation, & do not be troubled.” 

 

Have Faith:

 

Phil 4:11 “Be content in whatever circumstance.”

 

• Win or lose, be content. Trust God. Keep racing. The finish line is coming.

 

Phil 2:13 “for it is God who is at work in you, both to will & to work for His good pleasure.”

 

Stay Focused:

 

• Be careful. 

• There are going to be times you veer off the road.

• Sometimes when you are coming around a corner & there is blue boxes, gifts, & blessings coming up ahead you veer off the road & miss what God has for you.

• We don’t know what’s in those boxes & we may never know what we missed. Maybe it was a blessing or maybe it was something God was calling us to do. 

• In the future we may get another chance to receive them, but they may be a little different or changed in some ways.

• It will never be the same as it would have been if we wouldn’t have lost focus & gone off path.

• Be careful, watch out, & be a safe driver. 

 

Warnings:

 

In the game when you are about to be hit by something a radar goes off. The screen flashes & an alarm sounds to warn you something is coming & to give you time to prepare on how to deal with it. To fight back or protect yourself accordingly. The same goes for our Christian life. The Holy Spirit & God gives us warnings. It’s going to go off in our heads like an alarm, screaming “Don’t do that!” or “Don’t go that way!” As we grow stronger in our relationship with Christ we will be able to notice the warnings more easily. 

 

Hebrew 3:7-8 “Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says, ‘Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts”

 

Closing:

 

In the End We Win:

 

• In this race we always have victory in Christ.

• Romans 8:37 “But in all these things we overcomingly conquer through Him who loved us.”

• We’re not going to just win, but we’re going to overcomingly win!

 

 

Romans 8:29-31 “For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; & these whom He predestined, He also called; & these whom He called, He also justified; & these whom He justified, He also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?”

 

Phil 1:6 “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”

 

• Practice makes perfect.

• We will stumble, we will fall, & we will have losses.

• But we can have confidence knowing that through Christ, in the end we will be perfect & that we will win the race.

Sources: Google Dictionary; The Bible, New American Standard Bible, By The Lockman Foundation, Col 3:2, Phil 4:13, 1 Peter 3:14, Phil 4:11, Phil 2:13, Heb 3:7-8, Rom 8:37, Rom 8:29-31, Phil 1:6