I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world. (John 16:33, ESV)
Bad days! We all have them, don’t we? You and your spouse come home from work, and one of you says to the other, “How was your day?” When the answer comes back, “Don’t ask,” we instinctively know not to press, at least for the moment.
You come home from playing eighteen, and everything in your demeanor screams–I don’t want to talk about it. Then, your frustrations spill out in a soliloquy that would make Brandel Chamblee jealous.
Bad days on the golf course are inexpressibly painful. You spend significant money on the latest equipment. You retain the best instructors you can find. You work endlessly on every aspect of the game. You think you are ready!
After piping it right down the middle off the first tee, your eight iron to a large green squirts right of the trap, short siding yourself to a tucked back right pin position. That’s bad enough, but to make matters worse, it’s downhill from there all the way to “the barn.”
All of us are familiar with on-course adjustments. We leave the range with a slight fade that turns into a double-crossed hook. Sometimes an on-course tweak works, and, alas, sometimes it doesn’t. When this swing adjustment fails, we vow to try harder. Tension builds, and the next thing we know, we couldn’t hit a fairway if our life depended on it.
When I returned from the course three years ago, my wife, in a tongue-and-cheek manner asked, “Are we quitting the game today?” This inside joke started one day when I came home from a particularly bad round, promptly announced my golfing days were over, and immediately sold my clubs. I had played so badly for so long I just couldn’t take it anymore. And, after all, “It’s just a game,” right? After less than a week, I called my friend and asked— with the demeanor of a whipped puppy—if I could buy my clubs back. After a chuckle, he relented.
Learning to persevere in golf is easier said than done. You know what it’s like to play well. You know what it’s like to find the slot, even if it’s for a fleeting moment. You know what it is like to play your best. Then, invariably, you enter a slump. This slump seems to last an eternity. Persevering through difficult seasons is not for the faint of heart. It is so easy to quit. You say to yourself, “That’s it; I’m done.” But, then, for the love of the game, you find the strength to go forward.
The difficulties we face on a golf course pale in comparison to the ones we often face once we drive away from our club. A wayward child or grandchild weighs heavy on our hearts. A cash flow issue creates suffocating anxiety. A sick spouse finds no obvious answers. A chronic illness appears for which there are no known cures. A trusted business partner embezzles company money. A beloved church splits. The death of a loved one leaves you inconsolable. A failed marriage leaves scar tissue. An irreconcilable friend refuses all calls. A drug addiction is ruining the family.
Questions arise: how will I make it through all this? How can I possibly survive this nightmare? Where can I find the strength to continue, to persevere?
What is the answer? If Jesus is your Lord, here are a few of the many promises to which you can cling: he will never leave nor forsake you. Nothing can ever separate you from his love. He will preserve you in the midst of it all. He will grant you the necessary strength to endure. He will empower you to overcome, and he will keep you from stumbling and present you before the Father without blame.