I can think of no other sport that emulates Christianity as does the game of golf. It seems the harder you try to improve your game the more difficult it is to achieve the desired outcome. Anyone who has played the game for any length of time will confirm the necessity of relaxation. When you try to force a shot with all your strength the ball seems to have a mind of it’s own. When you relax and let the club do the work it seems so easy and you become self assured. Sometimes when you are tired and not doing well it seems that you cannot summon any ability whatsoever. It’s difficult to achieve consistency and when the ball finds a sand trap, water or lands out of bounds temptation may set in to behave badly in a total fleshly moment. It would seem that the man who invented the game understood the struggles of the Christian life quite well.

          Between the sport and the desire to live a spiritual life I have discovered how desparetly I want to be in control. The secret in each case is submissiveness not control. When you think about it, there is very little we can control. We are at the mercy of our environment. For example the weather will be what it will be no matter how hard I try to change it. We age and there is nothing we can do about it. The need to accept the external pressures of life and trust in divine intervention is crucial for all of us.

          With that said let me make it clear that life isn’t a journry of mindless acceptance. Whether you are playing golf or trying to improve your walk there is an effort required. We must apply ourselves to certain disciplines that will develop  the characteristics  needed to perform at a higher level. A devotional comittment is required in any area of life that will serve to enhance the results we would like to achieve. In golf it may be require regular trips to the driving range or lesson from a pro. It takes constant practice. As far as spiritual development goes, devotional time, time in the Word, time for rest (Sabbath type rest), prayer and a close one on one relationship with an other believer or mentor can be of great value.

          Great golfers struggle less. They don’t swing the club as many times. They don’t miss the mark quite as much as the rest of us. Great disciples can find that same consistency in addressing the issues of life that we all struggle with. In both cases we must apply our efforts to devotion and discipline . We must stop trying so hard and surrender to a new set of abilities that aren’t so natural to us.