Gambling is all the rage these days, isn’t it? And by rage, I mean that when people lose a lot of money, they can easily become yes very angry. However, let’s face it betting is extremely popular, especially in sports. People used to get banned for life by betting on sports, especially if you were one of the players.
Now you might be banned from a Super Bowl party if you don’t have money on the game.
Well, whatever your thoughts about wagering or participation in it, there’s a term that most bettors and some non-gamblers understand. It’s the over/under. Say for example, a football game has been given odds to end with a total of 48 points. Then the over/under question is, “Will the two teams actually score over or under 48 points?”
And some people will bet a certain amount of money one way or the other. If they’re right, they win. If they’re wrong, they lose. And of course there are thousands of other options and combinations to bid on such as points scored in a quarter, the number of touchdown passes or three-pointers or what color outfit Taylor wears to the Chiefs game. (Bet red!)
But I got to thinking about life and whether there are over/under situations and odds that are far more important to think about. I’m convinced there are. Let me suggest a few where winning is the jackpot but losing is much more costly than your losses at FanDuel.
For example, what about the over-under of us ever being enough to become God’s child on our own, you know by doing good, being nice, having talent, accumulating enough (i.e. degrees, houses, money, friends, awards, etc.), work accomplishments, successes in general and being liked.
The under here and the win would our accepting that we aren’t enough, that joining God’s family is only based on one option, trusting Jesus, his death and resurrection as our payment for naturally going our own way. But the over is wagering that we can do enough and rejecting God’s free gift of salvation.
But you see, Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by GRACE are we saved through faith and that not of ourselves it is the gift of God, not or works. . . .”
Now is it okay to work hard to gain important personal or family outcomes, status, honors, awards and talents in life? Of course.
But we can only really enjoy those accomplishments once we know that God loves us and has become our Father because of our faith in Christ no matter what else happens.
A second risk for many is, “When I face challenges, difficulties and losses in this life, will God still be there and turn those steep paths into something good?” The over here is that He absolutely will do all that and more. Notice I didn’t say God will keep us from problems or always take away the pain or make the mountains we face go away.
No, the over is that God doesn’t miss anything we go through. Sometimes He does still do the miraculous and beyond what we could ask, The 23rd Psalm says it well however, “Even if I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, You (God) are with me.” Or as Hebrews 13:5 says, “Because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’”
Like any loving father, God loves us his children, will be there through the good and bad and can turn something negative into something good. God redeems our hard times meaning he can take a tough situation, circumstance or tragedy and turn it into something of great value.
Taking the under means a person thinks that life’s challenges will ultimately control them, steal all of their joy and rob them of any peace.
A third bet might be the over/under of, “Is there really a Heaven, an eternal place believers to go someday to be with God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – forever?”
In John 14, just before one of the most important truths of the Bible which includes Jesus’ words, “I am the way, the truth and the life,” Jesus also said, “I am going there to prepare a place for you.” (John 14:2) He was clearly speaking of Heaven. Take this as the over. The under, however, means a someone isn’t sure about their eternity or thinks this life is all there is.
I like this quote said by many in various ways, “You aren’t ready to live until you’re ready to die.” When we know there is more to come, we can enjoy this life for what it is but not have to always try to squeeze out more.
We can enjoy the desires of our heart without them becoming demands of our heart.
So what are you betting on as you head into 2025. It can be a great year even if it’s a rough one. How? By taking the under of God’s grace, not your doing enough to earn it. Second, taking the over that God will redeem and give value to even the worst you may face and third, taking the over that the best is yet to come for all who believe in Jesus.
And if you ask me, “Gary, do you really believe these three concepts enough to to put money on them?” I’ll always say, “You bet I do.”
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