“You Can’t Turn This One Off: The Real Game Never Ends”

One thing about video games...we keep playing.

You lose? You play again.

You die? You respawn.

The game gets hard? You push through, or you throw the controller and come back when you’re ready.

But somehow, when it comes to real life, when it comes to our faith, we give up too easily.

The enemy comes? We back down.

We suffer loss? We shut down.

A door closes? We think it's over.

We tell ourselves, “This isn’t a game. This is real. It hurts.” And while that’s true—this life is real, this pain is real—what’s also true is that the game doesn’t stop.

We want to turn off the console of our faith when things get too intense. But real life isn’t a PlayStation. It’s not something you can power down. Because God is the Game.

Yes, you heard that right.

He’s the Developer.

The Source Code.

The Objective.

The Cheat Code.

The Controller.

The Resurrection.

The Eternal Reward.

Jesus didn't just play the game...He beat it. He finished it. And then He handed us the controller and said, “Follow Me.”

But what do we do?

We play the fake game...the social media game, the hustle game, the people-pleasing game...and then try to unplug from the real one when the boss battle hits. But here's the truth:

🎮 The difference between life and a video game is this: Even if you turn off the controller, life is still happening. The game keeps going.

So you can choose to be an NPC (non-playable character) in your own story if you want. You can choose to spectate while others walk out their testimony, level up, and claim their inheritance.

But what reward is there in sitting out?

This is the game of endurance.

The game of glory through suffering.

The game where the final level isn’t just a win—it’s eternal reign with Christ.

And you can’t cut it off. Because even after death, there's a final scoreboard waiting.

So today, I challenge myself—and I challenge you—to pick the controller back up. Stop rage-quitting your purpose. Stop putting the mission on pause. Stop letting the devil trick you into thinking that quitting is even an option.

No, you’re not in control.

But you know the One who is.

And that’s better.

💡 Reflection Prompt for Readers:

• What part of your purpose have you “paused” or “unplugged” from?

• What would it look like to pick up your controller again and play with God as your Player 1?