And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. (Matthew 12:30, ESV)
Thirty years ago, I sat in the front row and listened to the famous speaker Peter J. Daniels address the question: “What makes the great, great?”
Golfers ask the same question in a more limited field. My list of the best golfers are Bobby Jones, Byron Nelson, Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, and Young Tom Morris. What did they have in common?
Was it physical talent? Was it a competitive spirit? Was it a deeper understanding of the game? Was it heart?
The answer is yes, it was all four of those, all the time. On some days, one is called on more than the others; on others, one is a little off, but they are The Four Musketeers: all for one and one for all.
Most of us who play the game focus mostly on the physical side. We practice our swings, and that is a good thing. We hit a few putts and chips.
That is, of course, upside down if we want to score low. Short game, especially putting, is where strokes are saved. As for the long game, at least 80% of failed shots are due to a flawed setup. When do we practice that?
And when do we work on our minds? Have you read and put into practice the advice of Rotella, Cook, Nilsson, and Marriott?
Have you worked on your heart so that you don’t give up but fight through the tough times? You can have a great time playing golf without working hard. More success will come, of course, if you work at all four.
The same is true in our lives as followers of Jesus. He said to love God with your heart, soul, mind, and strength. There will be days when your mind is just not cooperating. On other days your heart may be strong.
In golf, we’re glad when our putting saves our chipping or our irons save our driving. In loving God go for 100% of all four every day, but know that each day may be different. Even when it is, love as much as you can.
Prayer: Father, forgive us when our love wanes because our hearts are hurting or our minds are weak. Give us the desire to love you completely every day. In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen