Well today is Friday, and some people are beginning to look to the weekend already. For some when they think weekend they think golf, and no matter what time it is where you are, some where in the world there is someone teeing off right now. Where you are, the weather may be terrible, heavy rain - snow - extreme temperatures, but somewhere else there is good enough weather for someone to be playing golf. You may even be fortunate enough to live somewhere that the sun is up and the weather is great. If that is so we can almost promise that someone is playing a round of golf. Basically, regardless of your personal state, where you find good weather you will find someone playing golf.
As a service to the reader of this note Team Swap must inform you that golf is not a hobby, activity or sport that is practiced around Team Swap. In fact with the exception of putt-putt most of Team Swap have never held a golf club in their hands. We are keen observers of the game though, and we try to learn from all that we see. In golf, we see the love that it’s players have for the game. We personally know the passion that this game brings to our friends and family that love it. That passion and love of the game is the root of what drew us to observe what we want to talk about today.
When one of our directors graduated college he moved in with a guy named Al. Al was a recreational duffer at best, he played about 2 to 3 rounds a year. To our knowledge Al never broke 120 in a round. His shoes were worn, his clubs were old, he did not make a huge salary, but he still loved the game and had a passion for his time on the links. That drew the attention of our now director.
About the time our director and Al were sharing their apartment their was a high school phoneme named Tiger that was showing signs of promise. Wonder what ever happened to him? Anyway, one of the things Al told our director about that Tiger kid was that he had a great ability to “grip it and rip it”. We are sure most of you know more about that then us, but that concept is the basis of this post.
There are times when God calls us to stop looking at the shot, stop evaluating the angles, stop analyzing the hazards, and just let it rip. After God has given a vision to His people, after He has called or pointed them to minister or work in a specific place or direction, there comes a time when He expects us to act. Now, we are not talking about reckless abandon. We are not talking about careless wondering. We are not talking about using God to justify wants, selfishness, or desires. What we are talking about is taking the action that we already know that we are called do and when we take that action putting our all into it without waiting any longer to find out where all the problems and issues will be. To many Christians make it through the vision, the call, and the direction, but never follow through with the action. That is why ministries fail to succeed.
God wants us to act. He knows the risks, He knows the dangers, and He says He will guide us through them and help us survive all that is before us. God does not know fear, fear is a human emotion and one that is basically worthless. God is not afraid, nothing in the universe scares Him. He is not weak and powerless against His enemies. He is far from the feeble old man portrayed in comics, movies, and books.
With all of that said and understood about both the character and nature of God, it is vital that we remember that we are on God’s side and that He is our protector. Thus we have nothing to fear. Fear makes no positive changes, it accomplishes nothing good, and in reality it’s only main accomplishment is take energy and focus away from the action that really needs to be taken.
So, by definition the fearful Christian should not be the norm. The fearful Christian should be the exception and that exception should drives us back to a deeper relationship with God. Fear should not drive us away from Him, His work, and the duties us calls us too. Fear should act as reminder that He is in charge and that there is nothing to fear as long as we are in His will and way.
So, today we challenge you, as we challenge ourselves daily, to no longer check all the angles, worry about all the hazards, and just grab the club that God is handing you and let it rip. He knows where our proverbial ball is headed and He has a plan for us when we get to wherever that shot lands. Weather the “shot” that we are facing is a 300 yard fairway, a recovery shot to get us out of the woods / hazards, a 120 yard shot out of a sand trap, a 60 yard chip to the green, or a 5 foot putt to the cup is not important. The important thing is that God is leading us to take it, and that is what we are suppose to do. There is nothing to fear in God, only security and success in the end.
Stay strong, be courageous and hold on tight to God and rip into the opportunity that He places before you with power and direction. Remember all the positioning, adjustment, and focus is worthless if there is no swing and follow thru. Also know that follow thru is the key to the ultimate success of the shot.
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The Wee Course is a local golf course that helps youth learn life lessons from the game of golf - Team Swap supports the Wee Course and it's mission - Link to Wee Course
