A Golfers Diet

“All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be equipped for every good work.” – 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Growing up, my Grandpa was an avid golfer, and he aspired to teach me how to play the game. There was a piece of art that hung in my Grandpa’s house that said this: “A Golfer’s Diet is to live on greens as much as possible”. True enough, any golfer who can consistently put their ball on the fairway greens, and out of the rough, sand, or water would be in prime position to succeed at the game. During a round, my Grandpa asked me at one point after countless hooks and slices into the rough, the woods, and anywhere else besides the fairway green how much time I’d spent practicing, reading, or studying since our last round together? Well, as a high schooler, none of things had much appeal in my seemingly busy life, and I hadn’t done much of any of those things since that last round of golf with Grandpa. Grandpa also told me on the course that day that I couldn’t just show up to the course and expect success without preparation and study. I wasn’t setting myself up to be successful, I was hoping to just sort of get by in a game that is very challenging. Time went on, and while my golf game never really took hold, even with more effort and preparation, the life lesson stuck with me.

Thinking about our lives – we desire to draw near to God, and have our lives reflect His glory in all that we do, and in any situation. That said, we can’t just show up to every day of our life and hope to be successful in reflecting Christ. We have to put real effort, study, and preparation into our spiritual lives. We do that by spending time in His Word. II Timothy reminds us of the power of God’s Word. These aren’t just words on a page – but loving instructions from our Creator that we can learn from. Words that challenge us, change us, and encourage us to grow in our Christlikeness. Golfers all struggle with various parts of the game.  My challenge in golf started in the tee box, and getting the ball onto the fairway and not in the rough or other less than desirable locations. Similarly, we all face challenges and adversity in our daily lives that come in different ways. I cannot expect to know how to face life’s challenges biblically, if I haven’t spent time learning from God’s Word how He wants me to live. The time and study we put into God’s Word, and the Spirit working in us gives us the knowledge we need to put ourselves in position to succeed in reflecting Christ in our lives.   

– Scott Wilson, Sports Spectrum Reader

If you would like to submit a reader devotional, please email all submissions to jason@pao.org.