“I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy.” Psalm 43:4 

Before one of my team’s golf matches against a big, public school in Charlotte, I gave each one of my players a notecard that read: “’The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.’ Westminster Catechism, 1646”.

I’m not sure if it meant anything to them. One of my players just said, “Whoa, that’s older than my dad!” But the reason behind giving them the notecard is that, after observing them in previous matches, I felt like they weren’t enjoying the game of golf anymore. They were putting so much pressure on their performance that they were sucking the fun out of game that was meant to be enjoyed.

“This is all you have to do today,” I told them, holding up a notecard. “Glorify God through the game of golf and enjoy God through the gift of golf.”

There was a time when I think I sucked the fun and enjoyment out of my relationship with God. Perhaps I was a fundamentalist. Or a legalist. It was all about doing things for God, not resting in the One who does things through me. Today, my walk with God is much more about enjoying Him, whether I’m standing with Him on the top of a mountain, or walking with Him through a valley.  John Piper calls it “Christian Hedonism”—worshipping God because there is pleasure in it.

“God is most glorified in us,” Piper says, “when we are most satisfied in Him.”

This devotional is taken from our most recent Training Table devotional book in our latest print magazine. Log in here to access our most recent Training Table. Subscribe here to receive 12 issues a year and a daily sports-related devotional.