Are You Playing the Short Game or the Long Game?
The Long Game
Life can be full of challenges, disappointments, and situations that don’t go as we expected. When we find ourselves in the midst of difficult circumstances, it’s easy to feel weary and worn out. In those moments, we are faced with a choice – to trust in God’s plan or to seek out our own solutions based on what seems most convenient or immediately gratifying.
The reality is that there are always options before us, and sometimes those options can seem very appealing. Perhaps going back to old patterns or ways of living that once felt comfortable, even if we know deep down they are ultimately unfulfilling. Or maybe we’re tempted to define right and wrong by our own standards, acting as if Jesus’ sacrifice isn’t enough to cover our sins.
However, the Bible warns against such deliberate rejection of God’s truth. When we willfully choose to sin, refusing to draw near to God and trampling on the grace freely offered through Christ’s blood, we are essentially saying that we would rather fend for ourselves. We are declaring that we can stand before a holy God based on our own merits, rather than relying on the protective covering of Jesus.
This is a terrifying prospect. Scripture tells us that it is a “dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31) when we are outside of Christ’s sacrifice. God’s holiness is so pure, so perfect, that any sin in His presence would consume us entirely. That’s why He provided a way for us to approach Him through the blood of Jesus – so that we can be cleansed and made righteous, able to stand before our Creator without being destroyed by our own sinfulness.
When we choose to reject this gift, opting instead for patterns of convenience or self-reliance, we are ultimately headed down a path of destruction. The author of Hebrews warns, “If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left” (Hebrews 10:26). Without the covering of Christ, we are left to face God’s righteous judgment on our own – a hopeless prospect.
This is why the author urges his readers to “hold unswervingly to the hope we profess” (Hebrews 10:23) and to “not give up meeting together” (Hebrews 10:25) for mutual encouragement and accountability. He reminds them that they “endured a great conflict full of suffering” (Hebrews 10:32) because of their faith, accepting joyfully the plundering of their property “since you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions” (Hebrews 10:34).
In the midst of hardship, these believers exemplified endurance rooted in an eternal perspective. They understood that any temporary pain or loss was incomparable to the promise of eternity with Christ. Their hope was not in earthly comforts or conveniences, but in the certain reality of God’s kingdom – a “better and lasting possession.”
This is the long game we are called to keep in view. When circumstances tempt us to take the path of least resistance, to indulge in patterns of sin that promise immediate gratification, we must lift our eyes to the eternal reward that awaits those who endure. The trials of this life, though difficult, are only “light and momentary troubles” compared to the incomparable glory that is to come (2 Corinthians 4:17).
Having the long game in mind allows us to stand firm in our faith, confident that God is working all things together for our good and His glory (Romans 8:28). It gives us the endurance to keep pressing on, even when the road ahead seems uncertain or painful. We can find joy in the midst of suffering, knowing that our “present troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all” (2 Corinthians 4:17).
This isn’t to say the journey will be easy. The author of Hebrews acknowledges that endurance is required, for “you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised” (Hebrews 10:36). Perseverance in the face of adversity is a hallmark of true faith.
But we are not alone in this endeavor. As the body of Christ, we are called to spur one another on, to encourage each other daily (Hebrews 3:13) so that none of us will be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness (Hebrews 3:13). We need the support and accountability of our spiritual family to help us keep the long game in view.
So where in your life are you being tempted to take the path of convenience over sacrifice? What areas are you struggling to trust that God’s promise is better than anything this world can offer? Identify those places, and cling tightly to the hope we have in Christ. Surround yourself with fellow believers who will remind you of the eternal reward that awaits.
Have the long game in mind. Stand firm in your faith. Know that your present struggles are temporary, but the glory to come will far outweigh them all. Choose daily to reject the lies of sin and embrace the sacrifice of Jesus. For those who endure, who refuse to shrink back, the promise of eternity awaits.
“So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised” (Hebrews 10:35-36).