For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. (James 1:23–24, NASB)
Champions Golf Club was founded in 1957 by three-time Masters champion Jimmy Demaret and Masters and PGA champion Jack Burke, Jr. Jimmy Demaret died in 1983, but Mr. Burke lived to be 100 years old, passing away in 2024.
When I first joined Champions in the early 2000s, I would often see Mr. Burke out on the range hitting balls or on the putting green talking with members. In his final years, he spent more time in his office and in the clubhouse. He was always accessible, though, and he would stop and talk with anyone who wanted to chat or get a picture.
One day I was sitting at the bar on Sunday eating breakfast when Mr. Burke sat down next to me. He had just recently celebrated his 100th birthday, so I congratulated him and asked him what the secret to a long life was. In his blunt fashion, he said, “Don’t try to be somebody you are not.”
Then he said, “You know who will tell you who you really are? The banker and the scorecard.”
How true. In a materialistic world of posers and influencers, the banker is a truth-teller. He just wants to know your assets and liabilities.
In golf, it’s not about how good a game you can talk, how pretty your swing is, or how many fairways or greens you hit; it’s your score that shows how good you are.
And in the ultimate game of life, if you want to know how good you are, you look at the Bible, the Word of God. James said the Bible is like a mirror. (James 1:23 – 24).
Mirrors don’t lie. They show what we really look like, stripped of illusion and insecurity. Without mirrors, we could only guess.
Hebrews says the Word of God is “living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword,” exposing even the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12–13).
It has been said that we judge others by their actions but ourselves by our intentions. The Bible judges us by both.
If you don’t know Jesus, this scorecard tells the truth. You have not made the cut; you will not play on the weekend. Like all of us, you have made too many bogeys and fallen short of par. We need a savior.
But for those who know Jesus, the Word of God is something more. It is still a mirror and a sword; it still shows us where we fall short and judges our thoughts and intentions, but it is also an instrument He uses to change us.
The last night with His disciples, Jesus prayed to the Father, “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.” (John 17:17).
The Word of God is not just an interesting read. It is a transforming agent. As we read it, meditate on it, and digest it, we are conformed to the image of Jesus.
In short, God’s Word tells us the truth about where we stand, points us to the only One who can save us, and shapes us into the people He has created us to be.
That is why it is the ultimate scorecard.
Prayer: Lord, thank You for giving us Your Word. Amen.