Life is a Chess Game

Today is the first day where I’m sitting down to write without having a clear direction in my head. For Days 1-6, I’ve had a topic and possible directions for content but today, not so much. But isn’t that just like life. Some days we know exactly where we’re going and other days we’re either waiting for direction or we’re stepping out in blind faith.

Within the past couple of weeks, while praying for direction in a couple areas of life, God showed me that life is a chess game and He is the master player. I don’t know much about chess (other than the fact hubby and I played it on our first kinda-date…and I won 😉 ) but I know it’s strategic. Pieces can move backwards and forwards all over the board based on the ‘abilities’ of the different types of pieces. I also know looking at a chess board can be really confusing. At least with checkers you know pieces move in one direction and the rules are relatively straight forward. Oh, how much easier would life be if it were more like checkers, right?

What God revealed to me in this analogy was that just like chess pieces occupy their squares on the board game, we’re supposed to occupy our squares on the board of life. Our responsibility in this moment is to bring as much God-life into our current square. Neighbors, co-workers, people on the street we come in contact with, etc.

Also, considering this analogy, you don’t see chess pieces freaking out because they’re in a certain square. Obviously chess pieces aren’t alive (unless you live in my brain cause I can personify any inanimate object…you can’t leave the last cookie in the box or it’ll get lonely and sad…all those ‘Night at the Museum’ and ‘Toy Story’ movies where things come to life would’ve totally come from my thoughts) but for the purpose of this illustration, let’s imagine they are.  A piece is hanging out in its square when its suddenly picked up and moved to the next one. Easy peasy. The chess piece’s purpose is to simply trust the chess player and go wherever he/she leads. They stay in that next square until it’s time to be moved again.

So in the chess game of life…I’m hanging out in my square. I have questions for direction for the future, I may not have a clue where I’m going, I may not have a clue what life outside of my square even looks like…but I’m supposed to hang out here and own my square until God shows me otherwise. In the meantime I will make this square look the best it can possibly look. I will invite the presence of God into my square so that the next person who inhabits it feels His presence. I won’t worry about my next square or even what the rest of the game looks like…I’ll live in the joy of where I’ve been placed for this moment.

In searching for the answers and directions for my life, God didn’t reveal the overall picture at once. He led me through the squares. He showed me the next step to take, I took it and then waited for Him to reveal the next step. It was a much more peaceful wisdom-seeking process compared to previous times in my life where I’ve considered all angles, stressed about all possible directions, tried to figure out the answers on my own, etc etc etc…when I’ve tried to do the Master’s job instead of rest in my role as the game piece.

I’m so thankful that the Master can see the entire board at once and that His ways are so much higher than ours as it says in Isaiah 55:9. Lord, when I start acting crazy in my current square, remind me of your perspective and that all I have to do is enjoy the view from here and rest in your infinite wisdom.

Write 31 Days Chess Game

Image Credit: Abby Vencil

 

2 thoughts on “Life is a Chess Game

  1. I love this analogy, Erin. It’s true that sooo often all we can see is our little, limited square, we keep asking why has this happened and why isn’t that happening… And it always helps to remember that there’s a perfectly planned out bigger picture which only God knows. And He’s working on it all the time and will bring everything to completion! 🙂
    Thank you for this reminder.
    Good luck with your series and lots of blessings, Anna xo

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