Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance. (Titus 2:2, NIV)
If you pay even small attention to the voices in the golf world, it’s the question that will not die: Will Tiger Woods ever make it back?
With so many things to do, it becomes increasingly hard to do any one thing well.I won’t speculate, but I will say that what lies behind the conversation are considerations of longevity. Will too many injuries, too many emotional and spiritual catastrophes, too many young rising stars, and too many dad-at-home interests make it Tiger’s biggest challenge yet to truly compete again on Tour?
When Jesus told the parable of the sower, who went out with the seeds of the word to implant the kingdom of God in people’s hearts, we read that some small plants heard the message with favor but didn’t last. Look: “The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful” (Matthew 13:22).
Life makes it hard to last. With so many things to do, it becomes increasingly hard to do any one thing well.
It’s not just minions whose busyness keeps them from what is best. Hezekiah, one of Judah’s righteous kings, fell into the trap of riches and privilege. Even when God healed Hezekiah from a deadly illness, “Hezekiah’s heart was proud and he did not respond to the kindness that was shown him” (2 Chronicles 32:25).
We want to see God in the miraculous, the wonderful, the Spirit-filled. High drama lives in these moments and they can add a charge to our faith. But God is a realist. He knows that these moments—and the faith that appears to accompany them—are fleeting. In Luke 17, we read of Jesus healing 10 lepers. Only one, however, “came back, praising God in a loud voice.” This one threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. “Where are the other nine?” Jesus asked. Now I will speculate. In only minutes, the other nine had jumped back into the opportunities and responsibilities their culture gave them. Almost instantly, they were too busy to worship.
For our mixed audience, I sometimes hesitate to start with a passage that addresses men specifically, as today’s does. But we see truth in Paul’s words whether we are men or women. With character, faith, and love, we need to learn endurance. We want the seed implanted in us to grow to full fruition.
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Jeff Hopper
October 20, 2017
Copyright 2017 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.
OTHER DEVOTIONS IN THIS SERIES
The Or Series 1: God or No God?
The Or Series 2: Grace or Works?
The Or Series 3: Alone or Together?
The Or Series 4: This Church or That One?
The Or Series 5: Sermons or Scripture?
The Or Series 7: One Way or More to Practice Our Faith?
The Or Series 8: Old Nature or New Nature?
The Or Series 9: For Seekers or Believers?
The Or Series 10: A Statement or a Conversation?