“Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour.” — 1 John 2:18

Every Shot Counts

This shot counts.

I try to tell myself those three words before every shot in golf — whether I’m in the woods hoping to make bogey or sitting 100 yards out in the fairway, whether it’s a birdie putt or a putt to save double-bogey. It doesn’t matter. Every shot counts.

In 1 John 2:18, John warns his readers that this is the last hour. He warns them that the antichrist will come, and soon, Christ will be returning. The last hour, he believes, is rapidly approaching. And therefore, he wants to make the most of every opportunity. John knows that every shot counts because the end is near.

Unfortunately, our mindsets aren’t like John’s. We live like we are going to live forever. We look ahead. We don’t stay in the present. We need to tell ourselves that “This shot counts” continually, but we don’t. You never know, today — even this hour — could be our last moment on Earth. Every shot in golf has the potential to make or break a golf round. This shot counts. This moment counts. Make the most of it.

— Stephen Copeland

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