Watching tennis ace Andy Murray at work prompts these thoughts and observations this week. It’s an interesting game. Would you agree that it’s a lot like life?

For one thing, it’s played on a court according to strict rules. So is your life and mine. Tennis always begins with a serve and so does each day.

Like life, tennis is a game of volleys. You won’t win them all, but you won’t lose them all either. If you learn to recover, charge the net once in a while, you’ll get through it okay.

Tennis is a game of endurance, and so is life. A tennis match can go on for hours, and often becomes more a test of stamina than of skill.

Determination is your greatest ally off the court as well.

The game of tennis has seen many changes over the years.

Take what the players wear, for example. Those flickering black and white films from the 1930s show the men in long white flannels and the women wearing long white dresses.

Nowadays, it’s difficult to tell whether some of the women are about to go on to the court or the beach.

God is also in the business of change – changing lives. He has made it possible, through Jesus, for each of us to make a new start, with changed attitudes, values and priorities.

One final thought: Life isn’t about tennis and points. It’s about good plays along the way.

This week’s thought: When you stop to think, don’t forget to start again.