Games Christians Play : A Call to Passionate Renewal in Believers and the Contemporary Church

Everyone plays games and Christians are not exempt. In fact, the games people play are as old as human history. A game is a set of actions and interactions geared toward achieving some desired goal or objective. People are both initiators and receivers of games, and games are played on both a conscious and subconscious level. Like all people, Christians play games because they want to accomplish something, be right, come out on top, be accepted or seen as special, express their talents and skills, show off to others, hide something about themselves or their trauma and woundedness, or simply relate to people in a certain way. The Bible is the story of God's love for creation and redemptive involvement through His Son, Jesus Christ. However, it is also an honest, unabashed testimony of how the Fall has impacted all of humanity and the universal suffering this has caused. Included in Scripture are numerous illustrations of the games people have played toward one another and God, including so-called "heroes of the faith." Today's Christians are no different. This book examines 36 potentially harmful (and often subtle) games that Christians play in our relationship with God, within ourselves, and toward others in and beyond the church. These games can keep us stuck in emotional pain, hamper our relationships, cause or be associated with Christian's and Christian leader's sins and "falls from grace," and divide rather than unite the Body of Christ. The authors explore the psychological, relational, Biblical and spiritual reasons we play games, including the role of the subconscious. They also discuss the importance of Christian Personal Realism within ourselves and our relationships, the significance of "shadow work" in our lives, how to deal more effectively with our primary (core) emotions, and our need for ongoing spiritual development and transformation. This book is a passionate call to a deeper, more real and personal relationship with Christ and