Hole #16
Well this has been an absolutely beautiful day for golf!!
Hole 16 is a par 4, 398 yard hole and it appears we have once again caught up to the person in front of us again. Apparently after we let him ‘play through’ on #13 his game took a turn for the worse.
From the language we can hear making its way back to the tee box, and the fact he is throwing his club farther than he is hitting the ball, it appears he has lost his focus and his composure.
Focus is a pretty important part of golf… from the mental aspects down to the club itself… focus matters.
Take the driver for example. It, by design, is made to take all of the energy of the swing and direct or “focus” it on the ball. If everything is focused correctly and on line, the ball will sail straight out into the middle of the fairway. But if not… you can hit it off the “toe” or “heel” and who knows where it goes after that.
There are many things to distract you and cause you to lose focus on the course (bad shots, self confidence, people celebrating good shots, people cursing bad ones (like the golfer in front of us)).
Focus is important for the Christian as well.
What do we focus on day to day?
Do we live our lives with focus?
If we do, what is that focus on?
Our minds are the ultimate “idol” makers.
We NEED that…
I HAVE to watch this…
I HAVE to buy that…
I HAVE to be…
When really if we received the gift of eternal life, our focus should change. We should move from a ‘worldly’ focus to and ‘eternal’ one. Knowing that everything we are and everything we have comes from the Father above. We should ‘focus’ on Him.
Christ asks us to take up our cross…
Mark 8:34 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
The cross symbolizes death, execution, punishment. When we take it up, we should know it won’t be easy but we can persevere with the right focus.
When we focus daily on serving the risen King, we have to know from His example that it will be difficult. We will mess up from time to time. But our ‘focus’ is Christ.
Who…
made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name, (Philippians 2:7-9)
We have to focus on Him… …minute by minute.
Don’t get caught up with this world and what it tells you that you need…
…when you retire.
…when you are successful.
…when you have arrived.
Focus on Christ because this life is a vapor.
James 4:14 Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.
This life will pass away, but what you have done will last…eternally. Leave your mark.
Take up your cross.
FOCUS on Christ.
MIRROR Him.
Let others SEE Christ through your life.
Don’t forget that you are not your own…you were bought at a price. (1 Corinthians 6:19)
Great hole! That was fun. Tricky second shot out of the sand, but salvaged par.
…on to 17…better FOCUS on the last two holes and finish strong.
