Nintendo’s Splatoon 3 is a fun, fast paced, game where players do their best to represent their team. Today on Geek Devotions, Dallas presents 4 life lessons he’s learned from playing Splatoon 3.
Written Version
You can get by not communicating, but it’s better when you do
In Splatoon 3, you are dropped into a team of four, and your mission is to cover as much land in your team colors as possible. While you can figure out where your teammates are via the map and do basic communication like highlighting that you’ve been splatted, communication in the game is limited. But if you can join us with team members in a discord server, working as one unit becomes much more manageable.
As geeks and nerds, we often find ourselves in a type of introverted self-isolation. Yes, you can live life this way, but at the end of the day, many things are better when we communicate with others. In a community, you can communicate what you’re going through, and they can help you!
Proverbs 15:22 (English Standard Version | ESV)
Without counsel, plans fail, but with many advisers, they succeed.
This proverb points out the simple truth that to be truly successful; we need a community of individuals we can trust to help guide us and achieve the goals that God has for us.
Encourage each other
The Splatoon community is vibrant and full of many people. But one remarkable aspect I’ve seen is how encouraging it is. For example, in the game, people can create banners that sit above their characters in the city. These banners range from silly to remarkably artistic. But many are also very encouraging. Also, many players actively try to make art that inspires the other players.
Actively encouraging each other is a crucial aspect of any community.
And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
Hebrews 10:24-25 (English Standard Version | ESV)
In this verse, we are instructed to actively seek ways to stir or encourage each other, love others and do good works. It can be as simple as texting folks an encouraging word or inviting others to join you as you go out to serve and love others.
You have a skill, and you have a place
In Splatoon, you’ll find various tools, from a paint roller to a paintbrush to a bucket of paint. Each tool serves a very distinct purpose. We’ve talked about this subject on here before, so I’ll put a link below, but a key aspect here is that every person has a specific skill set. One person may be good at writing, one is great at talking, one is excellent at building things, and another is great at seeing people who are generally unseen. Every one of us is needed to accomplish the great things God has for us all.
1 Corinthians 12:12-31 walks us through this principle by relating each person to being one part of a body. Each part is essential, and each part is different.
It takes work to get where you want to be. Don’t give up!
Splatoon is a great game that anyone can play. But to get good at it, you have to practice! For example, I was terrible at using the roller when I first started playing. But now, I am far more proficient with it than other weapons. This skill growth came with practice. It can be discouraging at first, but if you keep practicing, you can perfect the skills you need.
Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress.
1 Timothy 4:14-15 (English Standard Version | ESV)
Here Paul is encouraging a young church leader, Timothy, not to neglect what has been given to him. Instead, we are to actively practice the giftings God has given us so that we can use them proficiently. The idea of people seeing our progress isn’t to show off or to be flashy; however, it is to bring Glory to the God who has helped us to grow.
BONUS LIFE LESSON
We may be different, but we are one team
The lore of Splatoon is profound. It’s a post-apocalyptic world where sea life has adapted to be on land 10,000 years after humans destroyed it. Amid the story, we discover a war between the Inklings (descending from squids) and Octolings (descending from octopi). The Turf Wars you play are meant to celebrate the victory of an ancient battle while also allowing people to unify. In Splatoon 3, the Octolings are free from the control of an evil overlord and have joined the people of Inktopolis. The story tells us that there was some prejudice between the groups at first, but they have realized that they are all on the same side and have the same mission as a community.
Sadly, divisions have been an issue for the church since our beginning. Before the advent of denominations like Presbyterians, Lutherans, Methodists, Baptists, Church of God, and Assemblies of God, there were divisions between Jewish believers in Christ and Gentile believers. This was an issue the biblical writers handled many times, such as in this verse below.
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Galatians 3:28 (English Standard Version | ESV)
For us to accomplish the things God has given us, to reach the world with God’s love, hope, and peace; we have to remember that while we may have our differences; we are one team. If all the world sees is disrespectful and demeaning argumentation between different portions of the Body of Christ, we will become a stumbling block for the lost.