CHESS AND RELIGION
3 LESSONS TO LEARN FROM CHESS THAT CORRELATE WITH CHRISTIANITY.
TUESDAY, 23RD APRIL 2024.
Chess as we all know is a board game that consists of pieces that represent the king, queen, knights, bishops, and pawns, this game involves strategic moves and due to the mental capacity, it requires to play; it is not surprising that lessons learnt from this game can be related to other aspects of our lives
This article will state three of those lessons which are:
When you have a mentor who knows it all your chances of winning are infinite; I’ll call this point an Infinite win.
Due to lack of experience, you make drastic mistakes but with luck, you may last a little longer. I’ll call this beginner's luck.
Because your opponents give you obvious options, it doesn’t mean you can’t add one more. I’ll call this one Option D.
INFINITE WIN: Amidst playing chess with an experienced person, I managed to barely keep my head above water long enough to get the attention of another pro, watching my game; he pitied me, and as much as being looked at with pity isn’t comfortable sometimes; I bought that look and he decided to help me, with his guidance and analysis, I was able to beat my competitor hands down, the game was fantastic.
Just when it looked like I had reached a dead end, through his guidance I put my competitor in a dead end; fantastic.
I remember a bible study when a teacher asked an illustrative question, he said
“If you were on the way to an important event and you lost your way, would you
Ask someone for help
Go back
Trust your guts and go any other direction
With all these options given, there was a disadvantage, Like the first, the people you ask may either lie to you or may not know, the streets might be empty and there’s no one in sight, for the second option, you may have no funds to go back, and going back and missing this event could be detrimental, then lastly, the third option; you could get lost. Looks like a dead end, right? This is when you whip out Option D! praying and asking God for the way; tested and trusted.
Rationally speaking, He created the heaven and knows it all, therefore the map is in his hands and he will give you directions when you ask, In Matthew 7:7a states, ask and it shall be given to you.
Seeking help from the right sources will boost your chances of winning every single time; asking God for help to navigate this life, which is strategic and confusing as a chess board is your best and only Bet to success.
BEGINNERS LUCK: People often ask themselves why things go haywire for themselves, and other people have smooth sailing lives, let me give my theory, it is because life is all about every single person making informed and uninformed decisions till everyone’s fate is entangled with one another’s.
In a game of Chess every beginner with no experience, prior understanding, etc. walks in blind. We have our eyes open but even when we can see all corners of the board, there are still blind spots everywhere; if you could catch the trap kept against you and counter it effectively, you are a beginner with luck; but what if you can’t? you will drastically mistakes, in correlation with Christianity, so many testimonies of people who turned believers would say something like
“I saw a light, I experienced a surreal kind of peace, I saw things in a new light, my eyes were opened” The discovery of the new world of true Christianity and understanding of the scriptures makes people dedicate their whole lives to living according to it like it is the right way
That point of realization is when a beginner starts seeing the games the way the pros do; they wonder why they couldn’t grasp those complex things, and the realization hits on why the pros act the way they do. It all made sense then.
In 2 Kings 6:17-20 Elisha prayed to God, asking that God open the eyes of his servant so he can see
If one doesn’t reach a point where they realize they’re blind, they would keep stumbling in people's messes till it dictates their lives, or they might just skip the mistakes by luck, so many people in the game of Chess play blindly and simply and still win depending on their opponents; trust me, I am that kind of chess player, and so many people end up with careless moves, loosing their pawns and bishops amidst their games.
OPTION D: Have you ever hit a dead end in a chess game, where it feels so much like your opponent has trapped your King with his moves, and you’re thinking hard on how to make a move but it feels like no matter where you turn the disadvantages are just too outstanding; it looks like a dead end
But the fact of the matter here is there’s a way out, but the way your opponent arranged his pawns, it looks like you have only the options he gave you on the board; it is a mental drama filled with tension, till suddenly you find a way out that you never saw before because you were to focus on the options your opponents gave you; picture a scene like that.
In my first point Infinite Win, I stated a story from my religious leader about finding your way and I told you about option D which was asking God for the way in prayer, God has always been known for his option D’s! HE MAKES WAYS WHEN THERE SEEMS TO BE NO WAY. That’s a famous quote; in the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the furnace Daniel 3:8-18 and from the biblical story of Moses and parting the Red Sea Exodus 14:21-29.
Shoo you get? Okay, there’s one Chess lesson I deliberately did not mention, and that is;
To distract your opponent with an obvious trap just to play a bigger hidden move! , Now, I want you to speak about that, me it correlated with what the devil does, but then I won’t say much so I’ll give you space to speak your thoughts.
In conclusion, Chess is an exciting game, and it does have a lot of life lessons; arguably not every lesson learned from chess is to be applied in life but that’s a topic for another time, what would you name that article? Hope to know your thoughts and see your engagement; Thank you and God bless you.
ESEABASI OBONGUKO,
FREELANCE WRITER.
