What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:9, ESV)
I have played golf to learn. I have played for trophies. I have played to make a team and to move up on a team. I’ve played for exercise, to get away from the office, and just for the sheer joy of hitting a great shot now and then. I’ve also played for money.
That started when I was in high school. My dad was a golfer and he and his regular partners would play for a few dollars, so I assumed everyone did that. Along the way I became enamored with hustlers, especially golf hustlers.
What I learned as I grew up a little was that we all need to be careful about those we choose as our role models.Titanic Thompson was still active back then, and my dad, who knew him a little, told me many stories about the man. Then one day we actually saw Ty on a golf course in Evansville, Indiana, with Daddy Warbucks (Hubert Cokes), who lived there. I was 15, and I was thrilled.
My other golf hero was Arnold Palmer. In his own way, he was as much a swashbuckler as Titanic. The first set of clubs I paid for with my own money were Arnold Palmers, and I’m still a fan of him today.
I’m less of a fan of Titanic, because as I matured I learned that he wasn’t someone I should be imitating. Even his son, who traveled with him and was a gambler himself, gave up that life a few years after his father died and became a Christian minister, preaching often about the evils of gambling.
I know now I should have tried to be more like Arnold Palmer than Titanic Thompson. In truth I should have aspired to be like Byron Nelson, one of the greatest players of all time and a strong follower of Jesus Christ.
What I learned as I grew up a little was that we all need to be careful about those we choose as our role models. More importantly we need to make sure we ourselves are worthy models.
Paul had it right when he wrote to the believers in Corinth, “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1). Jesus is the best role model of all time. Imitate him, then have no fear of anyone imitating you.
Christ rose from the dead. The Titanic sank. It’s an easy choice.
—
Lewis Greer
November 14, 2018
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The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.