What does it mean to play the long game in our faith journey?

In his devotional, Brian Borgman draws from Jeremiah's message to the exiles in the Book of Consolation, specifically beginning in Jeremiah 29. He highlights the analogy between the Israelites in captivity and Christians today, who are described as exiles, aliens, and strangers in this world. Borgman emphasizes that Jeremiah's message was to instill a mindset of playing the long game, not merely settling in comfort, but embracing a generational strategy. This approach encourages believers to think beyond immediate circumstances and consider the lasting impact of their faith on future generations.

Jeremiah's guidance to the exiles is a call to seek the welfare of the city in which they dwell. This directive resonates with Christians today as we navigate our roles in society. By understanding our temporary status as strangers in this world, we are reminded to influence and impact our surroundings positively, with a long-term perspective. The challenge is to remain aware of our identity while actively contributing to the welfare and spiritual growth of our communities over generations, demonstrating faithfulness and perseverance in our daily lives.

Galatians 6:9 (NKJV): "And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart."

The passage that comes from, of course, is in what we call the Book of Consolation, which starts in Jeremiah 29. So Jeremiah is writing to the exiles. And so that section of Jeremiah is incredibly relevant to us simply because Peter tells us that we're exiles, aliens, strangers. So there is an analogy between us and the Israelites who were taken into captivity. And I think that one of the things that happens in that section in particular is that Jeremiah is instilling in the exiles, in a sense, play the long game, right?

Settle in, not in the sense of getting comfortable, but settle in in the sense of playing the long game. This is going to be a generational strategy. And so to me, that's one of the big lessons is is Jeremiah is telling the people hey we know we're gonna be here a while and so as you settle in then he says in verse seven or his verse nine you were to seek the welfare of the city in which you dwell, right? So we're here, we're cognizant that we're aliens and strangers, but we're also playing the long game to influence and to impact from generation to generation.