And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. (Hebrews 10:34-35)
Imagine playing a quick nine at sunset, and you are alone. You arrive at the sixth tee and pull your five iron. You get behind the ball, establish your line, address the ball, and make an easy practice swing. You step into the shot; you swing, and the next thing you know, the ball rolls into the hole. There it is—one hundred eighty-two yards—slight breeze—a tad uphill—and you’ve aced it!
Then it dawns on you. You are alone! You eagerly look around to see if anyone saw it. Your mind is racing. You ask yourself: Is there a foursome on the next tee box? Is the greenskeeper anywhere in sight? Did anyone see it? Will anyone believe me?
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As followers of Christ, we are truly never alone. We always have the “Audience of One.” Ultimately, God saw your hole in one and smiled at your joy.
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Playing alone certainly has its benefits. You can work on certain aspects of your game without rushing. You can play your own Captain’s Choice, hitting three or four shots and playing the best one. Nine holes, by yourself, late in the afternoon, might be just the way to decompress from a day’s work.
Ideally, the game of golf is meant to be played with others though. One group I particularly love to play with if for no other reason than their expertise in trash talk. I always leave refreshed from laughter and wish every golfer could play with people like Butch, Jim, and Jack.
We are all familiar with the perennial question—If you had one last round to play, who would you like in your foursome? Maybe there is an exception, but I’ve never heard anyone answer—I would prefer to play alone. Golf, at its best, is played with others, in great weather and, as the British say, “on form.”
Our thirty-first president, Herbert Hoover, coined the phrase “rugged individualism.” In describing the typical American, Hoover pointed to those traits of independence and self-reliance.
In contrast, an Anglican minister named John Donne poetically captured a different perspective. He wrote, “No man is an island,” and “…send not to know for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee.” Donne captured something much closer to a biblical portrayal of relationships.
Scripture uses the phrase “one another” roughly one hundred times. More than a few poignant insights emerge from meditating on these verses. But hardly any one of them could be more important than understanding our need for each other. Jesus never intended us to go it alone.
The word networking is our modern synonym capturing the vital importance of all the “one another” statements. Our daily devotions are designed to “encourage one another,” “stir one another up,” and “edify one another.” Our Links Fellowships are designed, largely, to honor scripture by “…encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” (Hebrews 10:25).
Our hopes and prayers focus on “standing side by side” with you in gospel enrichment and growth (Philippians 1: 27). My Christ the King, enlarge our sphere of influence and penetration into golf clubs the world over.
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Dennis Darville
Copyright 2022 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at linksplayers.com.