Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. (Proverbs 4:26, NIV)
One of the wily veterans at my club once told me that he loved to play matches against someone who had recently had a haircut. When I first heard him utter those words, I was scratching my head trying to figure out what he meant. When he was finally willing to share his wisdom with me, he told me that it was quite probable that during the time his opponent was in the barber shop, he had read the most recent Golf Digest issue and was about to try one or more of the tips that he gleaned from the magazine in his next round.
You know these folks—the “tinkerers.” They are always trying something different: a new swing thought, a modified putting grip and stroke, a new driver, or a different golf ball brand. They wander from “this to that” in the hope of finding the key to a better golf game. For them, change is a constant.
In my faith journey, there have been countless times when I have been tempted to veer off the journey’s path. Whether it was going to a different church, embracing a popular theology, or adopting a new ethical construct to deal with a thorny issue, the opportunity to “tinker” was an inviting diversion.
Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians, describes the potential problems we face when we are “…tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming” (Ephesians 4:14).
In both my golf game and my faith walk, I want to stay on the path I started out on.
Solomon provides great advice for us when we are faced with these potential diversions—remain steadfast in all your ways. He suggests that we should remain firm and unwavering in our faith. We should be faithful and incapable of being diverted from our primary purpose or mission. The Message says it slightly differently: “Keep your eyes straight ahead; ignore all sideshow distractions.”
How do we remain steadfast and resist the temptation “to tinker” with our faith? Over the years I have received excellent advice from my fellow believers. They have suggested that I need to be in the Scriptures daily, recommending that I study the Bible regularly. They have advised me to pray constantly for guidance and strength to stay on the path. When I experience a major or mini “crisis of faith,” I seek the advice of my spiritual mentors. I talk with others in my Links Fellowship to seek their guidance and to ask for their prayers. I am thankful that I can rely on these tools.
I no longer read golf magazines at the barber shop before a big match. In both my golf game and my faith walk, I want to stay on the path I started out on. I try to avoid sideshow distractions that might divert me from my focus of trying to be more like Jesus and trying to bring glory to him in all that I do. We all need to strive to avoid the temptation to be a tinkerer so that we can continue walking on the path with Jesus.
—
Mark “Ole” Olson
July 28, 2021
Copyright 2021 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.
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