I am pretty sure that I am the only one who still plays temple run, but what can I say? I like old games. A couple of years ago, the game was all the rage and it was about running through a temple like the name implies. So you pick a character, begin racing and just keep running but there are some things you must do along the way. Like tilting to the left and right to pick up coins, jumping up to reach for power ups, but most importantly, don’t trip. The moment you trip, something starts to chase you and if you fall again, the game is over.

You are probably wondering what the life lessons are, so here goes:

Form a character: before you begin a race on temple run, you have to figure out who you are going to be, you need to form a character, and decide to run with it. Now in real life, as soon as you start to grow up, you have to figure out who you are, who you are in God, who you intend to be to your family, friends and your one day spouse. To run your race in life successfully, you have to surround yourself with God, the right people and the will to keep going.

Look out for obstacles: the temple grounds are littered with obstacles, stone hedges, cracks in the floor, fireworks, and all sorts, so you have pay complete attention so you don’t trip and fall. Much like in life, there will always be distractions and things that will take your eyes off of the goal. Especially when you are headed in the right direction, the devil will constantly throw things your way to make you doubt your calling, life will spring up more twists and turns than you can probably handle, but the beauty of it all is the victory that awaits if you stay on course and never give up.

Don’t get carried away with material things: you need a lot of coins in temple run, because you need to upgrade your abilities as you progress in the game, you also need power ups to help you while you run, like the coin magnet that gives you extra coins, the shield that saves you from one obstacle, the boost that helps you run faster, and so many others perks. The irony is that you can run smack into an obstacle while reaching for a power up that will save your life so to speak, you can also fall off the cliff while tilting to get more coins. This just translates to the fact that yes, material things are important, but they are not worth the sacrifices they require at times. Yes it’s good to have a powerful career and big pay checks but at what price? Less time with your spouse and your children? How many family events have you traded in for that work meeting? And if you’re unmarried, are you trading your time with God, your parents and your friends to get that career? I am not saying you should not have a career, I am saying you have to  create a balance, there is space for everything but it’s up to you to make it. Material things are good, money is good, but there are other things that are priceless and should not be traded.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help: no matter how good a player you are, you will trip and fall and most likely the monsters will get you, but the moment you fall, a message pops up on the screen that says “save me” and when you click on it, you get a free power up, your avatar gets resuscitated and you can continue your race. I think this one is self explanatory. Life is hard, and you will fall on your face as you run your race, but don’t be afraid to ask for help, don’t be afraid to pray to God to save you when you fall, don’t be too shy or too proud to ask for help from friends when you need it, you really can’t do it all on your own no matter how tough you are, you will always need help.

Who knew there were lessons to be learnt from playing a game on my phone?

“Instructions for living a life.
  Pay attention.
  Be astonished.
  Tell about it.”
― Mary Oliver