Becoming a Better Golfer

When I was a teenager and knew everything I played golf with a good friend. We would head down to Goddard Park in RI and play 18 holes. It was inexpensive to play a round back then; just a couple bucks each. We had fun and were literally teaching ourselves to play. We did pretty good for guys with no formal training.

Had golf become a passion, I would have had to seek professional training. I would have needed to learn the correct way to stand and how to address the ball. I would have needed to purchase better clubs and understand which to use when. My game was pretty much played with two woods, a nine iron, and a putter!

Once I learned what was right, I would have to remind myself all the time to practice it. It would be easy to fall back into wrong habits. And I would have to stay away from others who still played like I used to or it would be too easy to slip back into the old ways.

After a period of time and great improvement in my game, I would be able to play without thinking about right or wrong. The correct moves would come "naturally". At this mature place in my golf walk I would even be able to play with a few duffers and not lose my edge. As a matter of fact, they would learn new methods just by hanging around with me.

Doesn't this sound like our walk with Jesus? When I was younger and asked if I believed in God, the answer was "of course I do." I had been going to church since I was born and knew that Jesus was always with me. My God walk was all set. I went to church on Sundays and participated in the church in many ways. I gave in the offering and was a "good" person. I was doing my part.

John 14:26 NLT

But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.

Then our life was turned upside down. My wife, Dianne had been very sick suffering for years with an incurable disease called Crohn's. Her testimony is another story, but the end result was that she was miraculously healed and we each asked Jesus into our heart to become our Lord and Savior. Now we had the professional for training to become more like Him.

The Holy Spirit came to live in me and what a change that made in my life life. I now had someone to show me God's plan and His ways for my life. But I liked what I was doing and did not see anything wrong with most of those bad habits I had developed over the years. And the people I knew were the same.

I was trying to improve my game, but trying to apply the old rules and continuing to play with the duffers. The Holy Spirit was encouraging me to change relationships and break old habits. The more I listened to Him, the closer I became to Him and with others on the same God walk.

The more I walk with Jesus allowing the Holy Spirit to point out the direction in my life the more I find my thinking and my reactions changing to be more Christ like. I no longer have to make myself do the right thing all the time. I have changed because of my relationship with the professional instead of with the duffers.

Now I am not perfect by any means. But I am open to the Holy Spirit's direction ever changing my character to become Christ like. And when I spend time with the duffers in life, their habits do not tempt me back into that old life. Actually, my changes seem to have a positive effect on them!

If you want to learn to play the game well you need to line up with the professional. There is only one professional in the game of eternal life and that is Jesus. Accept Him as your Lord and Savior and He will send the Holy Spirit to be your guide and comforter, too.