If you’re wondering whether it feels a little peculiar to be mildly famous for playing a game on television, the answer is yes, it does. But there are principles involved in playing a game successfully that translate to other things we do in life. Remember how fond the apostle Paul was of sporting metaphors (1 Corinthians 9:24-27; Galatians 2:2, 5:7; Philippians 2:16, 3:14; 2 Timothy 4:7-8)?

Preparation is essential. The morning of my taping session, I wrote myself a list of ten important things I needed to remember that day, relative to my game play. Karla and I went over the list several times aloud before I left for the studio, so its points would be fresh in my mind. Every one of the ten items on my list proved helpful to me that day. I was glad I had taken the time to create the list and review it.

The Scriptures give us a list of essentials we need to have in place before we face each day of our lives. Paul calls these items “the whole armor of God” (Ephesians 6:10-18). We should review the list frequently to ensure that all of the pieces of our armor are firmly in place, so that we are well prepared for the daily battle.

It’s not just what you know, but also how you use what you know. The first time I was on Jeopardy! I saw several contestants studying almanacs and solving crossword puzzle right up until they entered the studio. I, on the other hand, am notorious for studying little — if at all — before my games. I’m confident that most of the knowledge I need is already in my head. Therefore, I try to relax and focus my concentration before a game, so I can readily access the facts I’ve collected over the years.

The Bible contains a wealth of information — literally, everything we need to know to live in a way that pleases God (2 Peter 1:3; 2 Timothy 3:16-17). All of that information benefits us little if we don’t train ourselves to use it, and use it wisely (2 Timothy 2:15; Hebrews 5:14; 2 Peter 1:10). Getting the knowledge into our heads is only half the challenge. Getting it into our lives is the harder part.

Play according to the rules. If you watched Friday evening’s Jeopardy! match, you saw two contestants penalized because they didn’t record their answers to the final question accurately. I heard many people say, “It wasn’t fair that they were penalized.” But it was fair, because the rules are specific about how certain answers (in this case, the title of a film) must be entered in order to be counted as correct. It would have been unfair to the other competitors for the rule not to be enforced.

God has rules, too — rules about how salvation must be obtained, about how His people are to worship Him, about what works His servants can and cannot do in His name. He requires that we follow these instructions to the letter: “If anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules” (2 Timothy 2:5). Even as Moses was told, “See that you make all things according to the pattern” (Exodus 25:40; Hebrews 8:5), God expects us to do likewise.

Play to win. There’s no point in competing if you don’t intend to do your best. Compete fairly, exhibit good sportsmanship, and extend courtesy to the other competitors, but always remember what the objective is — to do the best you can, within the rules, to win the game.