By Steve Horn
ALEXANDRIA, La. – One of the sporting world’s most celebrated events occurs this weekend in the Masters. The world’s best golfers will compete over four days for a total prize purse of 18 million dollars. The winner gets 3.25 million and the coveted green jacket. Even some who otherwise have no interest in golf will watch at some point this weekend.
Holes 11, 12 and 13 on the course are called the Amen Corner. Remembering this got me to thinking about all of the spiritual lessons in golf. And, not just the ones about “not throwing your clubs in the water.”
I am not an accomplished golfer, but I like to play. I have observed a few spiritual lessons along the way. (Actually, I have seen entire devotional books written with this thought in mind.) New Testament writers used sporting imagery from their day to convey spiritual truth. So, on this weekend of the Masters, I offer a couple of spiritual insights from the great game of golf.
- Bad things happen when you do not keep your eyes on the ball. That’s true in golf and life. I have a tendency in golf to look up to see how far I hit the ball. The problem is that I tend to look up before I hit the ball. As believers when we fail to keep our eyes on the ball of seeking first God’s kingdom, we soon find ourselves seeking another kingdom. Similarly, when our churches fail to keep our eyes on the main mission of the church—such disciplines as evangelism, discipleship, and missions, we soon find ourselves chasing matters of trivial importance.
- It’s the next shot that matters most. In golf and in life, we are going to make some bad shots. What we do after the bad shot is what really counts. On the golf course, I have seen people so upset about a bad shot that they quit in the middle of the round. Unfortunately, I have seen some people give up in life as well. In Christ, we can’t do this. Because of God’s forgiveness, we always get another shot.
Steve Horn is the Louisiana Baptist executive director.
