For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. (Hebrews 5: 12-14, ESV)
In the first golf lesson, the best teachers focus on building a solid foundation by assessing the student’s experience, explaining fundamentals, and providing personalized feedback.
They will likely cover grip, stance, posture, and possibly an introduction to the swing mechanics, often using tools like video analysis to aid in understanding.
I started teaching my oldest granddaughter, Maddison, with these basic principles when she was five, and after three years, with help from The First Tee program, she has a love for the game.
She possesses a childlike understanding of the swing and the game, which will only grow with additional discipline, practice, and guidance from other teachers.
Our spiritual walk with Jesus starts as a spiritual child of God, and after several years of being discipled, we should be in a position to disciple others.
The verse above is directed at immature Jewish Christians who should have been teaching others but were not applying the basics to their own lives.
Their reluctance to move beyond age-old traditions and established doctrines, and to explore deeper study, prevented them from stepping out of their comfort zone. They tried to live within the old culture but were unable to understand the high-priestly role of Christ.
Additionally, they would fail to fulfill the Great Commission Jesus gave the disciples after His resurrection: “Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
To grow from being a child who can only drink milk to “meat eaters” with a deeper understanding of the teachings of the Bible, we must learn discernment. To distinguish good from evil, we must train our consciences, senses, minds, and bodies to listen to the Holy Spirit.
If you find yourself stalled in your growth, implement a daily discipline of reading the Bible, praying, and being in community with other Christians.
LINKS can be one of your resources for growth. We are praying for leaders to be discipled and help share the Good News of Jesus through this crazy game of golf.
Prayer: Lord, we honor you and ask for a daily reminder to “seek your kingdom first,” knowing that all other things will be added and made manageable in our lives because you have invited us into a relationship with you and your plan.