But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead. (Philippians 3:12-13, NLT)
I always look forward to the major championships, and this week’s Open Championship at Carnoustie is no exception. What I am not looking forward to is watching multiple replays of Jean van de Velde’s infamous collapse on the 72nd hole there in 1999.
Unfortunately, we live in a world that likes to remind us of our shortcomings. Many of us don’t even need the help of others; our own self-talk harks back plenty.For many golf fans, Van de Velde’s disastrous triple bogey on the final hole with a three-shot lead is his legacy. If you do any search of his name on the internet, it is the first thing that pops up. Nonetheless, did you know that following Van de Velde’s great disappointment at the Open that he battled injuries for several years and still made a comeback in professional golf? In 2005, he nearly won his national championship, the Open de France. Ironically, he also lost in a playoff after, once again, finding the water on the last hole.
This, however, is not the end of his story. The following year, Van de Velde won on the European Tour at the Madeira Island Open Caixa Geral de Depositos. In addition, in 2012, he was named by UNICEF France as an ambassador (UNICEF works in 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, to defend their rights, and to help them fulfill their potential). He is only the second French sportsman ever to receive this honor.
Van de Velde has said, “The desire to get involved in the cause of children is obvious to me, and I am convinced that I can raise money and awareness, through golf, for UNICEF.” The resilient Frenchman clearly did not let his well-known failure hold him back from success.
Unfortunately, we live in a world that likes to remind us of our shortcomings. Many of us don’t even need the help of others; our own self-talk harks back plenty. Regardless, holding on to our failures and disappointments can be a great hindrance to spiritual maturity.
Like many of us, the apostle Paul had parts of his past that he desired to leave behind, so much so that he changed his name from Saul. In several of his epistles we find self-disparaging comments like “I am the worst of all” (1 Timothy 1:15) and “I’m not even worthy to be called an apostle after the way I persecuted God’s church” (1 Corinthians 15:9). Yet despite his failures, it could be argued that other than Jesus nobody has had a more positive influence on Western society than Paul.
How could a man with so much regret and disappointment make such an impact?
The answer is simple: Jesus.
Paul wrote in Romans 8:1 that “now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.” He was confident in what Jesus did for him on the cross, and we find the insight to his approach to spiritual growth in today’s verses. This once-persecutor of Jesus’ followers, who eventually became his biggest promotor, understood that he had to keep looking forward and not back. Paul knew that Jesus had made him into a new creation and that he was in the process of maturing and perfecting him to completion. Because of this amazing grace, the past did not define him nor does it us. We must continue to “press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us” (Philippians 3:14).
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Josh Nelson
July 18, 2018
Copyright 2018 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.