“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33, NIV)
Summer is in the air and golf tournament season is under way. If you’re a competitive player, you are in the mode to work on your game and play your best.
I bring out all the tools to help in my club tournament play, like writing SFT (See it, Feel it, Trust it) on my golf ball. I learned this habit from one of my favorite book’s, Golf’s Sacred Journey: Seven Days at the Links of Utopia, written by our friend Dr. David Cook.
One of the other tips I learned from this book was how it is important to keep my balance in my golf swing. It’s hard to get the clubface square and accelerating at impact if you’re out of balance—which means it’s hard to get the ball going in the right direction!
While learning balance has helped me with my golf, the lesson has been even more important for my life away from the game.
What does it mean to have a balanced life? I heard a pastor once say that our priorities should be seeking God first, loving family second, pursuing work third, and serving God fourth. The pastor noted that sometimes we get serving God mixed up with seeking God.
Ministry is important, no matter what your day job is. But you can get so busy “doing ministry,” that you neglect those God has given you to love the most. In my own life, I became so active in ministry before I realized I had created pain in our family. All the while, I thought I was seeking God first. You golfers will quickly recognize how we sometimes focus on one thing in our swing to the neglect of others—that’s a recipe for some ugly ballstriking!
In what we call his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus addressed these priorities. What was first in Jesus’ instruction? Seeking God first.
This favorite verse of mine keeps me on track when I go wayward in life. Here I am reminded that God will give us what is best for us if we seek him first. And if by faith we follow his righteousness, we are made right with God. Even our understanding clears up! We see that God’s outcome is better than ours.
Go after God first in all things. You will find it will give you balance in your spiritual journey, your family, your business, and maybe even your golf! God wants the best for us because he loves us so much. When we seek him, we find that great blessing.
—
Dereck Wong
June 10, 2014
Copyright 2014 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.