So now the case is closed. There remains no accusing voice of condemnation against those who are joined in life-union with Jesus, the Anointed One. For the “law” of the Spirit of life flowing through the anointing of Jesus has liberated us from the “law” of sin and death. For God achieved what the law was unable to accomplish, because the law was limited by the weakness of human nature. Yet God sent us his Son in human form to identify with human weakness. Clothed with humanity, God’s Son gave his body to be the sin-offering so that God could once and for all condemn the guilt and power of sin. So now every righteous requirement of the law can be fulfilled through the Anointed One living his life in us. And we are free to live, not according to our flesh, but by the dynamic power of the Holy Spirit! Romans 8:1-4

Golf- I Love The Game- But Not A Perfect Golfer

Are you always on par? I try to be. Not because I want to be perfect, but because I love God and that love impassions me to obey Him as perfectly as my human condition allows me. How about you? Do you obey out of your will power, or out of your worship relationship with God? Talking about “par” makes me think about my favorite game, golf. So many people play golf and a lot of them really love this game, like I do. I would love to play “par” golf. But most of the time I don’t, because there are so many variables. The drive, the iron shots, the chipping, and the putting. How can you be perfect in all these things all the time? Some people are! I am not one of those who are perfect all the time. You have to get all four of those variables working good together to get a par, or even maybe a hole in one! I usually play bogey ball! I am usually one or two over par.

For I know that nothing good lives within the flesh of my fallen humanity. The longings to do what is right are within me, but willpower is not enough to accomplish it. My lofty desires to do what is good are dashed when I do the things I want to avoid. So if my behavior contradicts my desires to do good, I must conclude that it’s not my true identity doing it, but the unwelcome intruder of sin hindering me from being who I really am . Through my experience of this principle, I discover that even when I want to do good, evil is ready to sabotage me. Truly, deep within my true identity, I love to do what pleases God. But I discern another power operating in my humanity, waging a war against the moral principles of my conscience and bringing me into captivity as a prisoner to the “law” of sin—this unwelcome intruder in my humanity. What an agonizing situation I am in! So who has the power to rescue this miserable man from the unwelcome intruder of sin and death? I give all my thanks to God, for his mighty power has finally provided a way out through our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One! So if left to myself, the flesh is aligned with the law of sin, but now my renewed mind is fixed on and submitted to God’s righteous principles. Romans 7:18-25

Above Or Below Par?

Are you way above par? This question, is it about golf or life? I think both! So many times I have been above par and disappointed in myself. This is not just about the game of golf, it is about our life story, the game of life. It is good, so very good for us to wholly-holy give Jesus our heart, because He has loved us when we did not deserve to be loved. We need this kind of love to stay “on par” in the game of life, and grow into the person He knows we can be. It is also really good for our game to develop an undivided heart. God shaped us, He designed us, this precious Savior, Who has not given up on us, hole after hole in this life, He knows we can par as the passion of God’s abundant love, intersects with our lives. We may fail to get par on a specific hole, but our God, the One who will not give up on us, He will finish what He started in us. I know this is my reality of truth, that God does not forsake me when I play above par, and it is because of this, I choose to play well and stay on course with God, because finishing my 18 holes well, playing life at par, the glory is not mine it is His, it is all because of Him.

We are like common clay jars that carry this glorious treasure within, so that this immeasurable power will be seen as God’s, not ours. Though we experience every kind of pressure, we’re not crushed. At times we don’t know what to do, but quitting is not an option. We are persecuted by others, but God has not forsaken us. We may be knocked down, but not out. We continually share in the death of Jesus in our own bodies so that the resurrection life of Jesus will be revealed through our humanity. 2 Corinthians 4:7-10

Perfectly Loved By God

The cool thing is that even though there are times I am playing over par, not perfectly, I know I am perfectly loved by God. I may not live life in perfect harmony with everyone in my life at all times, but I have been on par for most of it. I am imperfectly perfect yet, I am loved perfectly by my God who does not condemn me for my imperfections, even when I am not up to par, He loves me like I just made a whole in one. Listen Up To this 1 Minute Encouragement Video:

People’s Expectations-Condemnations

Do people judge your whole life by one bad putt that causes you to miss par? Do they say? What a bad golfer! Why is it that people expect you to always be on par, when they are not? Why is it when you are not always on par, they won’t play with you? It is sad that the very people who can’t play up to par, will withdraw from others, put up boundaries to keep you off the course they play, because you missed a putt for par. Why is that? Could it be because they don’t know how to love unconditionally? Could it be that they need to be in control of who plays their life course with them? Could it be that they have hidden motives that no one sees but God. Could it be their condemnation is from bad counsel and is not from You, Lord God? If you are being judged, condemned or forsaken because you are not up to par, pray through it, know Jesus, the ONE Who does not condemn you and pray for a breakthrough of unconditional love.

Hear my voice, O God! Answer this prayer and hear my plea for mercy. Lord, if you measured us and marked us with our sins, who would ever have their prayers answered? But your forgiving love is what makes you so wonderful. No wonder you are loved and worshiped! This is why I wait upon you, expecting your breakthrough, for your Word brings me hope. Psalms 130:2-5

Love Like Jesus Loved

Thankfully God does see all. Thankfully God knows all. Thankfully God still wants to play on the course with the ones othes betray and reject. This is how you play on par in the course of life, you do what Jesus did and love like He loved. Yes, the game of golf teaches us much, but mostly teaches us to desire to play below par just like Jesus did, to love like He did. Jesus was falsely accused, beaten, ridiculed, spat on, mocked, yet He loved us like we never hurt Him, like we never betrayed Him, like we never wounded Him. If you have been falsely accused and forsaken, trust God, wait on God, because truth stands the test of time, and God will issue His rebuttal of that lie, He is famous for that, brining lies into the light of truth and shattering dark counsel which was wrong and hurtful, with the reality of His truth.

Make The Right Choice The First Time

Golf seems to parallel life sometimes in our life story. God likes to teach me about the game of life sometimes through the principles of the game of golf. Because I play golf once or twice a week, and God knows He has a captive audience to teach me some good things. I was thinking the last time I played that I do want to play at the level of “par”. Yes, in other words, I want to finish this day and every day well on the course of life. It is good when we love our God first, with the goal of serving His Kingdom first, one day at a time. So today, if you play golf, I hope you finish well, below par, and also in your game of life, that you write your life story with a win for Jesus by making the right choice the first time, from every moment into every choice. 

Finish Well

“What do we need to finish on “par”? What do we need to finish well? Well, it is not about what we can do. Can anyone have a perfect life story, play a perfect round of golf? In all the different kinds of life situations that can pop up, can we play well? Can we have the perfect drive, the perfect chip, the perfect putt all the time? From experience, I can say no, we can’t. Can we make the right choice from every moment to every choice, my experience in this says, no. But in Christ Jesus, we can finish on par. God is a good finisher and He finishes well. He completes what He started, always on par. Listen up to this 1 Minute Encouragement Video it has some wisdom for learning to live life on par.

Becoming a “Firstee”

Everyone wants to live at par and to do that we need to be connected heart to heart with with God. God doesn’t expect a par out of us every single time, He wants us us to depend on Him. When I put things in God’s Hands and work out our life with His strength, power and wisdom, we live at par and we finish well. Independent from God, we don’t do as well as we do when we are being navigated by God’s Holy Spirit. It is great to be in that place where we are positioned underneath the rulership of God’s love, and we live our lives at par and above. It is amazing to be at the place where you are a “Firstee” putting God first in the all of your everything, and finishing well.

I pray with great faith for you , because I’m fully convinced that the One who began this gracious work in you will faithfully continue the process of maturing you until the unveiling of our Lord Jesus Christ! Philippians 1:6

We All Have Bad Days

I don’t know any golfer who has never had a bad shot or a bad game, likewise in life we have bad days, we flesh out, and make choices that are not up to par. But that is what is so great about our God, He forgives, corrects our course, and gives us a new day to play again. He doesn’t forsake us or betray us, He invites us to play again. Then, we will definitely play better, probably below par because we have learned from the Master, and yielded to the direction, power, and strength of the only One Who has never not made par.

Stop dwelling on the past. Don’t even remember these former things. I am doing something brand new, something unheard of . Even now it sprouts and grows and matures. Don’t you perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and open up flowing streams in the desert. Wild beasts, jackals, and owls will glorify me. For I supply streams of water in the desert and rivers in the wilderness to satisfy the thirst of my people, my chosen ones, so that you, whom I have shaped and formed for myself, will proclaim my praise. Isaiah 43:18-21

Happy Golfing ~ Finish Well

So get out there and swing well, believe in the power, strength and love of a Savior Who loves us so well, that we do well. Don’t let yourself get distracted by all the little things on the course, the sudden obstacles, the grouchy people who are a hurry,  and stay focused on staying in followship of God and your driver, iron, chipper, and putter, and all the tools God has equipped you with to play with will work well and help you play well below par, even making a hole in one! Happy Golfing!

Dig Deeper If You Would Like To…

Golf Life Lessons

Firstee

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