Life Is Like A Game of Bop It

by

in

Do you remember the hand held game “Bop It”?

I loved playing Bop It as a kid.
In fact, I think it’s still around (yeah, its that good!).

In Bop It, the goal is to repeat a set of commands given in the game. – pull it, twist it, bop it.

As the little thing gives you a command, you have to perform the action it commands. The commands get quicker and quicker until eventually, you’re certain to perform the wrong action.

I think a lot of us live life like I used to play Bop It.

We have so many things going on in our lives that our goal becomes just not taking a fatal step and performing the wrong action at the wrong time. Sure, we’re able to keep up for periods of time, but eventually it all comes crashing to a halt at the wrong action.

God never intended your life to be a game of Bop It.

God gifted, equipped, and called you to a specific purpose.

When we begin to try to do everything and keep up with others’ demands, we begin playing a life of keeping up rather than a life of effectiveness.

We begin to tire out from all of the extra stuff and lose energy for the God stuff.

Whatever God’s called us to do, its important that we make a concentrated effort to do it…
Not to do everything…
Not to do what others think we should.

Live the specific calling God’s given you before you undoubtedly make the wrong move and hear the words “game over”.

What was a favorite game of your childhood?


Comments

14 responses to “Life Is Like A Game of Bop It”

  1. Great post, Jonathan.
    My wife is a huge Bop It fan and I know they exist because we have one! :)

    Never thought of comparing the Bop It to life, but it’s a great call out that God doesn’t intend our lives to be like that.

    My favorite game as a child was War.

    1. That’s one that I never played. I think it always looked to complicated. Haha. Thanks KC!

  2. Interesting post! I was a beast at Bop it!

  3. I missed the “Bop it” era, I’m afraid. My favorite game would have to be Monopoly.

    1. It’s good, but I just don’t have the patience to play it out…

  4. Loved your post! Very well stated! Have a great week.

    1. you too, April. good to hear from ya!

  5. I definitely am one of those guys who gets asked to do a lot. In my former church, I wasn’t just the college pastor, I was the media guy, the marketing guy, the admin guy, the strategic guy, even the volunteer guy who showed up to help with everything.

    And while I was happy to help in any way possible, it left little time for me to focus on my main passion – impacting youth and college students.

    So after I left my last church, I made the decision not to get too involved in a leadership role in another church. It has allowed me to focus on what God has called me to do – and my ministry has exploded because of it.

    Good words, Jonathan!

  6. So…we tend to live life being dictated to by an annoying voice of another (NOT a capitalized “a”) and we try to make sure all the bells and whistles sound right and at the correct time? And then we get razzed by our friends if we can’t do it fast enough or with enough precision?

    Yep. I’ll buy that analogy. :)

    And my favorite game? Red Rover.

    1. Red rover. Yes!

  7. Simple but great. While in my teens I loved playing Risk. Wait I still enjoy the game when I get a chance to play.

  8. Great post, Jonathan.
    My small group and I had a related discussion a couple weeks ago – we talked about how sometimes we get so caught up in doing the works that we completely forget about the reason behind it – our faith.

    and I like the analogy. I was in the Bop It phase with you.
    …what’s crazy is I remember they came out with an extreme bop it or something a few years after the original that had like two more actions to do…my parents HATED the Bop It, so i can only imagine the headaches the parents’ of the “Extreme Bop It” kids got.

    but the game of my childhood was Tetris!!
    on the Original Nintendo GameBoy. that was like two inches thick and five inches tall. i still have both the game and the game boy!

    1. Tetris = amazing! Was right with ya on that!

  9. Great reminder of the importance of following His instructions for our lives. My son received a Bop It for Christmas. We love it! I don’t believe Bop It was around when I was a kid. I was(and still am)a Scrabble addict :)

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