1. Is life a game of poker?
Maria Konnikova, the author of ‘The Biggest Bluff,’ is an international poker champion who made hundreds of thousands of dollars playing in the main event of the World Series of Poker. As a Harvard psychology graduate who was naturally intrigued about human behavior, she went on a quest to learn how to play poker to explore aspects of decision-making, emotional regulation, strategic thinking, etc. Her experiences in playing poker led her to write the book, in which she discusses how to navigate the complexities of human social interactions that are largely influenced by attitudes of trust or distrust.
As a poker champion, she talks about how life also is a game of chance (a view that evidently dominates her perspective of the world) and how we must learn the skills to be strategic, self-controlled, and calculated in our approach to other people if we must escape being fooled by them. Although she does not disregard the view that humans could also exercise attitudes of trust towards each other, she does infer from her research and experience that people have become increasingly distrustful towards each other in our world today. And the solution is to take responsibility and control of our thoughts, emotions, and actions if we must survive in a world where distrust prevails.
Konnikova’s story and message remind me of a verse in the Bible that says, ‘Commit your way to the Lord, and He will establish your steps’ (Prov. 16:3). For most Christians, this verse brings a lot of comfort, especially because of the security that God’s promise provides by establishing our plans. Moreover, through this verse, we are assured that God is perfectly in control, and we only need to follow His leading. But there’s often an important element that we overlook when we seemingly place our trust in this promise. It is the reality of our tendency to want to be in control, but our inability to recognize that this verse actually suggests that we are less in control than we might actually believe.
This ought to make us reflect on Konnikova’s advice. While her diagnosis of the world’s condition may be accurate, her solution may not always be effective. To acknowledge that we live amid distrustful people and that we could tend to be untrustworthy at times is a correct diagnosis of the human condition. The solution to take full responsibility for our thoughts, emotions, and actions is also beneficial. However, to believe that in acknowledging our human weaknesses and being responsible for our actions, we somehow could control our lives, our responses to other people, and how they might treat us is to misunderstand that God is the One, who is ultimately in control of all things. We cannot simultaneously view life as a game of chance and believe that we could be in total control of our lives if only we learned the skill of discerning people and becoming responsible human beings.
To live peacefully with the people around us, we must believe that God has given us the capacity to make choices, take decisions, and plan our lives and interactions with other people. Yet we must also understand that we ought to place our hope in God, who perfectly orders our lives and the outcomes of our choices and decisions. To live according to this belief, we must not view our lives as a game of chance and survival, but rather as lives filled with purpose by a sovereign God. What this means is that we continue planning, strategizing, and exercising self-restraint and wisdom in our decision-making, not because we can control the outcome and don’t need God, but because we trust that God is perfectly in control of all things.
Moreover, as we increasingly rely on God’s ability to control all things, we realize that in His goodness, God does respond to our planning and strategic decision-making, but in a way that is not a direct effect of our decisions. Often, he responds in a way that is not directly related to our planning but rather suggests to us that if it weren’t for Him, we wouldn’t have the success we wanted. In this way, He does give us the desires of our heart, make our way successful and prosperous as a gift, in the hope that we know that it is through Him that we have all things, and submit to Him in all our decisions.
Maria Konnikova’s journey through the world of poker sheds light on the complex dynamics of human behavior, trust, and strategy in uncertain environments. While her message emphasizes self-control and strategic thinking as ways to navigate distrust in the world, it also reveals the limitations of relying solely on human effort. Life, however, is not just a game of chance or survival. For Christians, trust in God’s sovereignty provides the foundation for true peace and purpose. Proverbs 16:3 reminds us that while we can make plans and act responsibly, the ultimate outcome is in God’s hands. True wisdom comes from recognizing that God orders our steps and grants success, not as a direct result of our efforts, but as a gift of His grace. Our role is to plan and act wisely while trusting in God’s perfect control over all things, knowing that He is the source of our success and fulfillment.
2. Can kids teach us theology?
“Dear God, my turtle died. Is she there with you? If so, she likes lettuce—Susie.” “Dear God, are you really invisible, or is that just a trick?—Lucy”. These are some really cute prayers that a google search on kids’ prayers would reveal. Regardless of who these kids are, it is not unusual for kids to pray such simple but honest prayers. Their view of God may not be profound, but their prayers point to their faith in a God who is.
The first time I encountered these prayers as I was mindlessly scrolling through Instagram, I found them hilarious. However, a closer look at the sincere words penned by these kids, their honest faith, and their trust in God helped me understand that God does invite us into such an intimate relationship with Him. God knows every detail of our lives and wants us to go to Him with any request, thanksgiving, hurt, or question. He is not merely there for us during emergencies.
The prayers of these kids, despite their simplicity and their lack of any profound theological language, do teach us rich a rich theological truth. Their prayers are a testament to what Scripture has to say about how God invites us never to worry about anything but to ‘pray about everything’ (Phil. 4:6). They also teach us the importance of being utterly honest with God, even though such honesty may, at times, seem silly or even hilarious. Even more so, their prayers reveal God’s greatness and His love for His children.
However, as adults, we might often overlook the ease with which we could speak with God and His eagerness to hear and respond to us. We could mistake God’s ‘otherness’ or holiness for His distance from us, and we may tend to forget that He is a Father who is near to us, nearer than we could believe or imagine. We may fail to acknowledge that live and move and have our being in Him. Even the breath in our lungs is His life in us. So, it would be wise to sometimes pause from adulthood and pay attention to kids, whose prayers may seem hilarious but could teach us deep things about God.
Children’s prayers remind us that theology isn’t just about complex doctrines but about being in a simple and intimate relationship with God. As adults, we often distance ourselves from this kind of openness with God. We complicate our relationship with Him by overthinking, doubting, or feeling unworthy of His attention. We forget that God’s holiness doesn’t make Him distant but rather deeply engaged in every aspect of our lives. By learning from children’s prayers, we are reminded that God is near, loving, and eager to hear from us, no matter how small or seemingly trivial our concerns might be. Their prayers invite us to return to a simple, childlike faith that trusts in God’s closeness and love, a faith that can transform how we approach Him in our daily lives.
3. Is there a danger in misplacing our affections?
The Coldplay fan craze in India has reached fever pitch. The upcoming concert has sold an overwhelmingly huge number of tickets. The obsession for these internationally acclaimed artists caused the BookMyShow website to crash due to excessive traffic. This phenomenon reflects not only Coldplay’s immense global appeal but also how their music resonates deeply with people across cultures. While many Indians remain indifferent to international music, the fan response to Coldplay over the past few weeks is undeniable. Their music has made headlines across major news outlets. It has become a cultural phenomenon worth exploring.
What is it about Coldplay’s music that captivates millions? Chris Martin, the band’s chief lyricist and music composer, deserves credit. His lyrics possess a dream-like quality, lacking a linear sequence yet allowing us to connect and interpret the words and images they reflect. They draw on a range of poetic, literary, and even religious imagery, capturing our affections powerfully. Yet despite the dreamy lyrical style, Chris has a way of never disconnecting the words from reality fully.
While listeners can enjoy a soul-warming experience listening to Coldplay, an excessive obsession with them could be dangerous. While the craze could reveal something very fundamental to being human, our tendency to channel our affections towards that which could satisfy us, we often regard our affections as commonplace and carelessly misplace them, channeling them towards everything other than what could truly satisfy us. Instead of properly identifying and ordering our affections, we obsess over the music, artists, and experiences that accompany them. We attach ourselves to those very things that fall short of the depth and meaning we truly crave.
The Bible talks about the importance of rightly ordering our affections towards God. It talks about how we ought to set our minds on things above, rightly aligning our hope and affection on the God who deeply loves us. But it also talks about the reality of our tendency to misplace our hope and affection for the things of this world, which often leads us astray from joy and contentment. It is only through filling our minds and our hearts with God’s love, holiness and goodness that we can rightly channel our affections towards Him and the things he gave us to enjoy. Otherwise, we risk enslaving ourselves to everything but God, hoping to find joy in them.
The craze over Coldplay reflects our deep existential longings for love, connection, and meaning, yet it also reveals the danger of misplacing our affections. While music can touch us profoundly, elevating our emotions, it often distracts us from seeking true fulfillment. In our pursuit of satisfaction, we can mistakenly direct our hearts toward temporary experiences, hoping they will bring lasting joy. However, these things ultimately fall short. The Bible reminds us to rightly order our affections, setting our hearts on God, who alone can satisfy our deepest desires. Misplacing our affections enslaves us to the transient, while God calls us to lasting contentment in Him.
