“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8, NIV)
After draining a birdie putt from off the green on number five, I stood on the sixth tee at 1-under in the Texas State Am Qualifier. Not gonna lie. I was feeling it.
Unfortunately, whatever “it” I was feeling didn’t last beyond my next shot. I closed out the front nine triple, triple, par, double. From contention to catastrophe—but I wasn’t done yet.
Jerked my drive left on ten. Skanked one knee-high near the green. Chipped up and marked my ball. (Cue the record scratch.) It wasn’t until I holed out that I realized someone else at Willow Brook also plays a Titleist with royal blue Sharpie markings on it. Doh!
With my embarrassment meter pegging red, I confessed my infraction to my playing partners on the next tee. They were still in contention, so I suggested we play on and worry about my situation after the round.
Per the Rules of Golf, I was disqualified the moment I hit my tee ball on 11, but those in my group might argue I had eliminated myself long before that. Following play, one friend joked the Texas Golf Association did me a favor with the DQ, so I wouldn’t be saddled with a 90-something next to my name on the scoreboard. So I had that going for me.
You’re not good at golf and you don’t follow the rules. “What’s the point?” you might be asking the author by now.
Whether you play only your hometown course or all over the globe, you are called to share the Good News.Well, it’s almost golf season here in the South (don’t let the snow and ice fool you), and this story reminded me I need a refresher course on the rules. USGA Rules, that is.
But as a follower of Jesus, I have some other rues I play by, too. I’ll call them Christ’s Commands, and they’re Priority One while out on the course.
“Do to others as you would have them do to you” (Luke 6:31): Remind your opponents to replace their ball mark after you’ve putted. Don’t be tempted to let them walk into a penalty through an act of omission.
“Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39): Sincerely help your fellow competitors look for errant balls. Win because you played the best, not because of their bad break.
“Therefore confess your sins to each other” (James 5:16): Golf is a game of honor, so we must be willing to admit when we’re wrong. Even when none would be the wiser. Even when you’re no longer a factor in a qualifier.
Whether you play only your hometown course or all over the globe, you are called to share the Good News or, as the ‘S’ in the LINKS acrostic states, “share Christ through the great game of golf.” As today’s verse reminds us, that means wherever you tee it up.
The Rules of Golf will keep you in good standing down here. More importantly, I want to have a clean scorecard on Judgment Day.
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Drew Hamilton
February 22, 2021
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The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.
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