Pastor, author, and speaker John Ortberg shares a story about Monopoly, one of my favorite games from childhood. Monopoly is a multiplayer board game centered around economics, where the objective is to buy and trade properties and develop them. Ortberg recounts a game he played with his grandmother, who completely outplayed him. She took all his properties, money, and possessions. After winning, she advised him, “Son, someday you’ll learn that to win at Monopoly, you need to buy every single property you land on. You have to acquire everything.”

That summer, he went a bit crazy. He started playing Monopoly with his friends every day. When grandma returned at the end of the summer, they played together, and he was fully prepared. He took everything—every property, every utility, and every railroad. He even took her little car and all of her money. That sweet, sweet Monopoly money!

Friend, then his grandma shared another valuable lesson: “Son, here’s the second lesson you need to learn about Monopoly – it all goes back in the box.” Everything goes back in the box. All that money, all those titles, all the cars, all the clothes, and all the material gains we have earned or inherited; it all goes back in the box eventually. Don’t let your life be held back by the fear of losing it now instead of later. It all goes back in the box eventually. Don’t let that fear stop you from living the life God has called you to live.