Against my better judgment I played the game, PayDay, today with my family. Against my better judgment because, for the most part, I’m not into playing games – those who know me would say this was a gross understatement. There are (lots of) other things I’d rather do (like playing the guitar, blogging, reconciling a checkbook), but this was an opportunity for us to spend some time together so, against my better judgment, I played the game.
So we set up the game and started playing. My favorite game playing piece, blue, was snatched-up so, against my better judgment, I settled for yellow (my least favorite color, the color of cowardice and humiliation).
On my first move I landed on a Deal space and had the opportunity to buy an investment; however, I didn’t have enough money built up (only $325, my monthly salary) since it was early in the game. So, against my better judgment, I took out a loan to make the purchase. [NOTE: I didn’t know until another move later that the monthly interest on the loan was 20% (240% APR – it’s robbery, that’s what it is!) if not paid in full by month’s end!]
On my next move, I landed on a Mail space and received bills requiring payments equally ~$1200. I didn’t have that either so, against my better judgment (more like, against my will), I increased the line of credit.
A round later, someone landed on the Poker Game space, where each participant could pitch-in $100 for a chance to win the pot with a high roll. Decent odds but, being deeply in debt only 1/6th of the way into the game, I wasn’t going to take a $100 loan to play Poker. “Come on, Pop!” they all said, so, against my better judgment, I played… and subsequently lost $100.
A turn later I landed on a Mail space again and received a Lottery Ticket, worth $100 if I landed on the Lottery Draw at the end of the month. Big deal – the odds were worse than the Poker Game, and it would expire at the end of the month. So, I considered selling it for the highest bid since I was so far in the red. But, against my better judgment, I kept it… and passed over the Draw space.
The game continued like this pretty much to the end. Four or five more Poker Games came up and, against my better judgment, I played on loaned money (“I’m due for a win!”) and lost. At the end, my total “assets” equaled -$1000; everyone else had at least $1500; the youngest won the game with >$5000!
3 Lessons Learned (for games and, all the more, for life):
Ps 119:66 Teach me good judgment and knowledge, For I believe Your commandments.
- Learn good judgment and knowledge.
- Believe and stick to (DOING) what is “right” according to God’s word (ie Loans, Poker Games, and the Lottery are bad ideas and lead to poverty).
- Don’t go against my better judgment again!