Switcheroo

"Well then, does God supply you with the Spirit and work miracles among you by your doing the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard?"

(Galatians 3:5)

There's a game I like to play on my iPhone called SWITCHEROO. It's kind of a variation on the classic game, Bejeweled... but with a few twists. Shapes can only move in certain directions (and some can't move at all!). One must 'align' the same colors shapes in order to remove them from the board. Some of the shapes have a countdown on them, and they must be removed before the count reaches zero (it's based on moves, not time).

There are 3 'superpower' moves you can use in this game. 1) A free swap (you can switch any 2 adjacent shapes, despite their type)... 2) a time extension (adds 5 additional moves to every shape with a timer)... 3) a bomb (which detonates all the shapes and gives you a completely new board). But here's the catch, you have to earn these superpowers. They come based on how many regular moves you make. The more moves = more superpowers (but it takes a LONG time to earn just one!).

As I was reading Galatians today, I was reminded of Switcheroo. Paul is challenging the church in Galatia to rethink their theology of faith vs. works. They were caught up in "doing" in order to earn God's power. That's wrong, says Paul. Doing can't earn the Holy Spirit. Only faith. Only trust. Only belief. Period.

We Christians often forget that God's power, grace, forgiveness, healing, etc. is a GIFT. A gift we cannot summon or control. We can ask and petition for it, but ultimately God is the one who decides on how to dispense it. In the meantime, God wants to be in relationship with us - a relationship based on love and trust. Along the way, we can trust God to be with us, and to work for good in our lives (and the world around us). That's good enough for me. How about you?