For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6, ESV)
If anything escapes us under competitive pressure, it’s peace. Recognizable signs include clammy hands, rapid heart rate, racing thoughts, heavy breathing, and a hurried tempo. Peace of mind and steady nerves under pressure are essential qualities for champions at any level.
No one knew this better than Bobby Jones: “There is golf—and there is tournament golf. And they are not at all alike, inside.” “Inside,” obviously referred to the internal pressure one feels in competition.
That is why many players focus so heavily on “the process.” Often, when Scottie is interviewed, he frequently defaults to something like, “I stick to the process.”
During the 2025 PGA, under intense pressure and with others closing in, Scottie had a stretch of holes worth forgetting. He later said, and I paraphrase, “I didn’t hit the panic button; I hit the reset button.”
Hitting the “panic button” is something we’ve all experienced at some point in our annual journey around the sun. After all, sometimes life throws everything but the kitchen sink at us.
Fearing an unwanted phone call, worrying about the market, anxious about that corporate merger, or dreading the consequences of less-than-stellar behavior are the kinds of things that can keep us awake at night. Overcoming that kind of restlessness of soul takes more than a positive mental attitude.
When push comes to shove, having unwavering confidence in the face of looming danger goes significantly beyond reading the latest “self-help” book.
Though surrounded by family, friends, and professional counselors is helpful, the ultimate foundation for staying grounded in life’s storms is an unwavering confidence in the Sovereignty of God.
Having a well-developed sense of the Providence of God is of utmost importance if we are to ‘stay the course’ — He truly oversees the affairs of men and does so with infinite care.
So, where does one find that kind of composure in the heat of battle? How does one discover and develop the rock-solid assurance that the Omnipotent, Omniscient, and Omnibenevolent One is actively overseeing, directing, and intimately involved in our lives when it feels out of control?
To get straight to the point, there is no quick fix. And no one should be naïve enough to believe that a life without serious battles exists. All efforts to shield our lives from significant struggles are rooted in a fairy tale.
In addition to having a highly developed sense of God’s Providence, the practical answer to navigating the tumultuous currents of life is learning to walk with the Lord.
Living a Spirit-led life does not happen overnight. “Keeping in step with the Spirit” is a learned habit that requires the spiritual disciplines of prayer, meditation, solitude, study, and worship. The late Dallas Willard was right when he wrote, “Grace is not opposed to effort, but to earning.”
Believing that Jesus has your best interests in mind when you find yourself battered by the storms of life demands more than intellectual assent to biblical truths, as vital as they are; instead, life lived with an unshakable trust that Jesus is truly in charge is the outcome of a life spent getting to know the Savior through the means of grace.
Experiencing the supernatural peace that comes from the Prince of Peace can only come about through knowing, loving, and worshipping the King of Kings in a life lived “Coram Deo”—i.e., a life lived before the face of God.
Prayer: Lord! Take us beyond merely knowing about you into intimately knowing, loving, and worshipping you.