All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness so that the servant of God[ may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
Lee Trevino’s accomplishments speak for themselves: 29 PGA Tour championships, including six Majors, plus four more Majors on the Champions Tour. Along with Tiger Woods, Lee is the only person to win The US Open, Canadian Open, and British Open in the same year.
How good was Trevino? Good enough that Jack Nicklaus declared Lee and Tom Watson as the toughest opponents he faced in his legendary career.
When you dive into the formative years of history’s most successful golfers, it’s common to find that they were encouraged by their fathers at an early age (e.g., Woods, Palmer, Mickelson, McIlroy) or served as caddies in their youth (e.g., Hogan and Nelson).
But Trevino’s background is different. He never knew his father, who left when Lee was small. Trevino left school at age 14 to work and then enrolled in the US Marines at age 17, serving four years as a machine gunner.
Lee had been enamored with golf at an early age, so upon discharge from the Marines, he found a job as a club professional in El Paso, TX. In those early days, Lee was known for making bets on his golf game that exceeded his income, prompting one of his famous quotes: “Pressure is when you play for $5 a hole with only $2 in your pocket.”
For Trevino, playing under that kind of pressure translated to great success on the PGA Tour. Whatever it was, you must admit that Trevino’s golf background and resulting success first appear to contradict logic.
When nonbelievers examine our Christian faith, they see a lot of contradictions, so-called: We worship one God, yet He is three in one. Jesus is fully divine but was also fully human. The Bible is the Word of God, yet human authors wrote it. God is sovereign and in control, yet we are responsible for our actions. Jesus tells us whoever humbles himself will be exalted, but whoever exalts himself will be humbled. Salvation comes not through what we do but through what Jesus did. When you step back and look at all the seeming contradictions, it defies logic.
So, the question is, with all these paradoxes, why do we believe? Let’s consider the Bible, the Word of God. For those of us who believe, the Bible is truth. And truth, it is timeless. Ideas may change, customs may change, language may change – but the truth stands for eternity.
As written in Isaiah 40:8: “The grass withers, the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever.” The Bible is the written Word of God, and its purpose is to lead us to a relationship with Jesus Christ, the Living Word of God.
Seventy years ago, Billy Graham wrote a classic book, Peace With God, giving ten guidelines for Christian living. The list includes items you would expect: praying often, witnessing to others, and being obedient. But the #1 item on the list? Read the Bible daily. That is wonderful advice and a great habit to begin if you still need to. Remember that many books can inform, but only the Bible can transform.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, in a world where it can be challenging to determine the truth, thank you for the gift of your Word, which points to the truth and provides guidance for living a life that brings glory to your Name. Amen