Uno!

Uno Attack -- the name says it all.

This is a favorite game in our family . . . until we start playing it. Every time a family member called out "Uno!" in triumph, he or she was then attacked.

If you're not familiar with the game of Uno -- first of all, where have you been living? -- the point of the game is to be the first player with 0 cards, but you must call "uno" when you're down to one card.

Back to our game . . .

As soon as a player called "uno" the sweet, loving family member sitting next to him or her would lay down:

Bam! A skip card
or
Bam! A push it twice card
or
Bam! A let's trade hands card

One minute, you think you're about to win because you have "uno," the next minute you have 14 cards! Ugh! It's the never ending game!

After a while it feels like the other players are beating you up. But no matter what, we could not just quit the game. That's no fun! We had to stay in the game for the sake of everyone playing.

Paul says in Philippians 3:14, "I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

If we look at the life of Paul, he was attacked in every sense of the word -- sometimes repeatedly. So if he can press on, so can we.

Thankfully, we do not have to press on alone. Later in Philippians, Paul encourages us with possibly his most famous words, "For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength." (4:13)

So I will press on in Uno Attack (even though I was eventually beaten by my 9-year-old) and, more importantly, in my life "through Christ, who gives me strength."

As I press on, I can encourage others to press on, just as Paul did (and does still). I have to stay in the game for the sake of everyone playing.