We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God and take every thought captive to obey Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:5, ESV)
The first Tales from the Tour event where I was “behind the scenes” featured Tom Lehman and Aaron Baddeley as joint interviewers. Scott Stallings, Chris Street (a delightful Welshman), Paul Tesori (then caddie for Webb Simpson), and Ted Scott (then caddie for Bubba Watson) were the guests.
It was a terrific lineup, and everyone was excellent. But one comment from Scott Stallings really stuck with me.
He was in his third year on Tour and had won as a rookie and again in his second year. Tom Lehman asked him a question that went something like this.
“Let’s say you have a short shot from a tight lie, and if you get up and down, you could win the tournament. What’s going through your mind?”
Scott said, “You don’t want to know.”
There was a lot of laughter, and there were also a lot of heads nodding. Mine was one of them.
I’ve been there with lower stakes, and my mind feels like it is filled with options, every one of them driving a bumper car and trying to shove the other ideas aside.
“Chip and run it; that’s obvious.” “No! Putting is safer.” “People will think you’re a wimp if you don’t pitch it.”
Life can be very much like that, especially spiritual life. That has always been the case, and Paul knew that when he arrived in Corinth, there would be “bad” philosophies presented in opposition to his teaching. He wrote that he would “take every thought captive” and turn them to Christ.
Can we do that? When culture opposes Christ, can we take those thoughts captive, or do we let them in and give them a place? Can I even take my own thoughts captive so that my spiritual life is consistent with being a follower of Jesus?
Too often, we fight the world on worldly terms, but for those who follow Jesus, ours is a spiritual battle. Let’s use divine power instead of our own strength and take every thought captive for Christ.
Life – even on the golf course – is much better without bumper cars in your mind.
Prayer: Father, our minds can be a spiritual battlefield. Help us take every thought captive and turn those to Christ. Help us control our thoughts and always rely on your divine power for victory. In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.