Chapter Two
THE RIGHT
POSITION
Taking a brief look at the chess board, it has being described in the introduction as having checks of two colours and 16 pieces on each side for the two players. You would have observed that the game involves correctly positioning of pieces.
Each piece has its position and the game does not start without the players having rightly positioned the pieces. It’s same in life. To be able to begin the battle that life presents, you have to be rightly positioned. There is a right place most suitable for you to begin your journey to conquering. Not everywhere is best to start, but somewhere has the perfect ingredients for your launch. Rockets are launched at an airspace base not in any airport.
Every piece is played from its rightful position else there would be technical imbalance in strategy. When you launch from the wrong position, you end up spending more time to achieve the goal. The grandmaster of life has rightly positioned you for the most impact you should be making.
The individuality of the pieces ensures that they play their roles independent of others. Your individuality too is defining the effect only you can make. Your style is dynamic and best suites the position in which the grand master has perfectly played you into. God himself made this comment about you; before you knew yourself, I have known you. He was reiterating the fact that he had made you and positioned you just at the right time in your mother’s womb for the right place and purpose.
The pieces are never static on play. Every piece is subject to the mercy of the chess players’ technical prowess. They change position as it suites the player in a bid to attack and capture the opponents pieces. Christ showed this example when he gave the order to his disciples to “go and preach the gospel to all nations”. He was invariably telling his disciples that he is commissioning and moving them to capture souls outside their immediate country. The fact is, for you to make any impact; you will have to move out of your comfort zone. You will have to change positions. That is the duty of the grandmaster that plays you his piece where he determines you would make the most impact.
The essence of the position is to get the other players piece while also protecting the piece that you use for the attack. Though sometimes, the pieces may be lost. It is for the overall goal of attaining the champion status of the game. One sure fact is God has positioned you to be very vital in the purpose he has set for you, though sometimes he could position you deliberately in a war torn or persecution infested region. This was the situation of the disciples and apostles after Jesus left the earth.
Jesus had given his disciples the mandate of reaching the world but had asked that they remain at Jerusalem until they be endued with enough power to take up the task. His notion was that when they were endued, they would obey his directive naturally to step into the entire world. Guess what! This did not happen. God had to force a wave of persecution to push them out. The goal had to be protected “God’s interest.” Souls had to be won but the apostles also had to lose their lives too as the sacrifice. Every of the apostles died as martyrs except one. God wouldn’t have wished their death. No! But they were the sacrificial pieces upon which souls could have a surrendered life to Jesus and have the most priced eternal life
In life, we do often shift positions. Sometimes it is to our benefit while at other times, it is in sacrifice for a better position. We must realize like the game of chess that it is a must to change positions if you will have to reach the total good which God has made in the future
Paul the apostle wouldn’t have received acclaim if he remained the Pharisee that he was. No! He changed positions. Though he lost many privileges, those were the pieces he should lose so that he could confirm his prize
There are two types of positioning
STATIC: in this case, as in the case of chess, the pieces are limited to one spot but have the influence that their capacity has such as the king. The safety of the king is meant to be static only protected by his entourage of aides. There is something that has to be static. Our future goals have to be fully defined and seen as a whole unchanging lump. Its position as a spur and propellant should not have to change. It has to drive us into action to protect it.
Jesus our grand master understood that there were certain things that should have static positions. He had one, the fulfillment of God’s goal and that was not going to change even when he had to die. He protected God’s interest to the cross.
DYNAMIC: Some pieces are quite dynamic in their movement. They often have to make compulsory movements. Some have limited movements while others have generic movements. Something in our lives will always have to move and be repositioned. Friends, family will have to be repositioned. They will come and go. The people around us are bound to change. They are bound to be influenced by circumstance and thus may choose to change positions and join you or change positions away from you. It is the sum good of the static goal. Pieces like the queen on the chess board often show very dynamic attributes. The queen stands as the final support and threshold for the king. It’s same with the position of a wife around her husband. A woman is around her man to play a role no other person can play. She is well positioned as protector and shield of her husband. She has a variety of skills that others have individually. It is now the husband’s duty to acknowledge this attributes in her and use it to his advantage. The man is also rightly positioned around her woman.
The individual position styles of the chess pieces are an acknowledgement of the fact that God has made us individuals with distinct ability and style meant to make us impact the world in a distinct way. Mr. A isn’t Mr. B. they are distinct personalities who have come to make their individual impact felt in the game of life
In picking his disciples Jesus did not look for similarities. He picked fishermen as well as scholars, tax collectors as well as doctors and he played them into God’s chess game.
When God positions or shifts you, know that it is for your absolute good.