Have you ever played Alien Creeps?
It’s a free-to-play tower defense game in which you stop alien hordes from invading your base by setting up gun, laser, and missile emplacements. Every battle you win earns your hero coins to purchase upgrades for your weapons. There’s also a premium currency in diamonds that allows you to call in special troops or airstrikes…
Unlike most free-to-play games, it’s fairly easy to beat each level without grinding or spending real money. My son, Jack, and I use the in-game currency to defeat those “stinkin’ aliens” (His words, not mine. I happen to like aliens.) and, because of it’s free-to-play structure, things get inordinately more difficult as you advance. In an attempt to take all of your money, the game begins to pummel you with giant hordes of aliens in the later levels. Airstrikes, historically, are most useful against hordes of aliens but when we don’t have any, they get into our base. This results in the weeping and gnashing of teeth.
I’ve chosen this as an opportunity to teach Jack how to be a good steward of what we’re given. We only get so many diamonds to start the game with and how we spend them is important. I try to impress upon him the idea that God does the same with us:
When He gives us something He expects us to use it for His glory.
This lesson on stewardship is something I’ve been challenged with as of late.
- How am I exhibiting good stewardship within my role at church?
- Am I using the gifts and talents He’s given me in fair service to the family He’s blessed me with?
- Is my day job getting the most out of me when I’m there?
- Do I spend my diamonds at the best times to destroy the maximum amount of alien creeps?
Eric Dye says
What a great, teachable moment…for *all* of us. 🙂