A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this, all people will know that you are my disciples if you have a love for one another. (John 13:34-35)
I have a love-hate relationship with golf. Some days, I love golf, and other days, I hate that I love it so much. As a golfer, do you often have the experience of playing great golf one day and then struggle to find that feeling the next day or week?
We often find a swing thought that puts us in a good place with our golf games, and we produce good golf. However, if we forget that swing thought, we can quickly get lost again. So, we grind harder to find that feel again and bring back our best golf. We commit a lot of time to our golf games.
We are often made to feel that golf and sports are frivolous and unimportant in the grand scheme of things. However, I’m always encouraged when remembering that God is a sports fan. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 9:24, “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.”
So, if you’re going to play, play to win! I believe this is why God gave us a spirit of competition. My question to you today is, “Are you competing as hard for the souls of the lost as you are for the Club Championship trophy, State Amateur championship, or Major Championships?”
In our native condition, we tend to focus on competing for things we want more than what God wants. People are lost and dying, and we are the ones God will use to bring them the gospel.
How do we do that? Love one another and love people. I am a very competitive person and golfer. I am learning to compete as hard as possible to draw people to Jesus rather than competing in a way that drives them away from Jesus through my behavior.
If you want to be a better golfer, you need to work on the fundamentals of grip, aim, posture, and ball position. Spend more time working on your short game than on pounding balls on the driving range and other similar activities.
If you want to be a better disciple of Jesus, grind on the fundamentals of reading God’s word, praying for guidance, and studying how we should respond to God’s word.
Find a friend to help you practice sharing your testimony so that you will be ready to share it with others. That’s how we get better at being disciples.
Prayer: Lord, I pray that we will play to win, but always do it with a love that would draw people to you and not drive them away. Amen
Give ‘em Heaven today, Links Players!