We have already discussed six spiritual lessons that I took away from golf school last week. Here are the last few....
8. Left to you own devices you will always mess up – you need someone watching what you do and how you do it….. Without geniune feedback we will never improve. Why even practice without someone watching, being video taped or at least having the built feedback to know what you did right or most time wrong. Pelz is a realist - more times then not, we will not do the right things. So it is in the Christian life. But just like Pelz, we must realize (instead of giving up) that we can improve and grow if we will quickly realize what went wrong! That is why we need accountability and the church!
9. Remember no one putts perfect – you can’t in a lumpy donut world. The lumpy donut is Pelz's discovery that three foot around any hole is the most lumpy - bumpy part of the green. Therefore no matter how great of a putter you are you will never be perfect. WOW - what a blessing to know that no until heave we will be perfect -- we are all in process and living in a depravity (or better lumpt donut) world -- we will struggle.
10. Every shot needs to be approached with the same routine and rhythm. Pelz is big on routine, doing the same things over and over. And rhythm, getting in sink and feeling the moment. That again is a picture of the Christian life. We need routine, discipline, order, over and over repetitive routine....but we also need to walk in the SPirit and be in "rhythm" woth the Spirit.
11. Know the weapons in the bag and don’t try to manipulate the shot. Fact is every shot you make in golf should be the same motion. The only things that change is how far back your backswing is and how far forward your follow thru goes. Or what weapon you put into your hand. We need the weapons that we have available in Christ. Prayer, fasting, Bible memory, the church, etc. What makes a good golf player - knowing and applying the right weapons -- so is true about Christianity.
12. No matter what you do in a stroke – you can redeem most shots with a “world Class Finish” --- I was amazed at the power of a good finish. I could have a horrible back swing or even strike the ball thin -- but turning my body and landing in what pelz calls the "world class finish" and the shot will goes in the right direction. So is true with Christianity -- finishing is what really matters!!!
Good word from the tee box of golfology.....now like Golf we need to apply what we have learned.