For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. (Matthew 6: 14-15, ESV)
PGA Tour Pro Robert Damron, currently an analyst for The Golf Channel, won a PGA Tour event defeating Scott Verplank in a playoff at the 2001 Verizon Byron Nelson Classic. 10 years later and in his late 30’s, and trying to regain his PGA Tour status, he was playing in a Korn Ferry event in Pittsburgh, PA. For most of the season he was playing poorly, so finding himself near the top of the leaderboard gave him hope this might be the week to get back on tour. Striping his tee shot down the middle of the fairway on the 14th hole, a reachable par 5 with OB on the right, he walked with increased confidence toward his next shot.
A poorly designed cart path runs from the left side of the rough across the middle of the fairway to the right rough with severe slope from left to right. What seemed like a bad dream to him, he watched as the ball nearly stopped but continued moving toward the right side of the fairway down the cart path picking up speed, before coming to rest 1 foot OB, nearly 60 yards from the center of the fairway.
One year later on the same hole, in a practice round with two – time U.S. Open Champ Lee Janzen and PGA Tour winner Paul Stankowski, Robert hit his tee shot in the exact same spot. However, PGA Tour officials had put in temporary speed bumpers that would prohibit another nightmare for a perfect drive. As he approached the cart path he leaned down and said to the path, “I forgive You”.
As you can imagine all of us enjoyed a great chuckle having been told the full story on the walk from the tee box.
Perhaps you have been on the bad end of an undeserving comment, action, business deal, divorce or any other challenging situation, where holding a grudge or wanting revenge seemed to be the natural response. We all have.
Jesus calls us to forgive (supernatural response) as we have been forgiven. He even said to forgive our enemies! In todays’ scripture reading of Matt 6:14 & 15, he emphasizes the importance of forgiveness and the consequences of not forgiving others.
An unforgiving heart can restrict, limit, impede and even destroy a person from the inside out. Lewis B. Smedes said, “forgiveness is setting the prisoner free and realizing you were the one held captive”.
Have you received forgiveness from God through faith in what Jesus did on the cross? If not, it will be difficult for you to understand what being set free is about. How about in your golf game when you hit those errant shots or make the dreaded 3 putt? Can you forgive yourself and move on. It frees you up to play the next shot unhindered by the previous shot. Consider forgiveness in your daily life, in your marriage, as a parent and in all of your relationships. Set the prisoner free!
Forgiveness has a way for each of us to do something for others and at the same time, something incredibly powerful for ourselves.
Prayer: Jesus, as you hung on the cross, brutally beaten and left to die, you took all my sin, guilt and shame. You did that so I could be forgiven and live the life you have purposed for me. Thank you. Please help me to forgive others like you have forgiven me. Amen