Chasing Par
Hey there! I’m not sure if you like golf or you’ve ever played golf. In spite of your feelings toward this crazy game, I’m hoping you will indulge me for a few moments while a share a few thoughts from my many struggles with this game that I both love and hate at the same time.
First, par is the score standard for each hole in golf. If you shoot par that means that you got the ball in the hole in the number of stokes set for each hole. Par is set at three, four and five depending on the hole you are on.
Second, it is extremely difficult to shoot par on a course. I have been playing golf for about 15 years and I am still chasing par. As it stands, on average I’m about 18-20 shots over par for a whole game. That means on every hole I average at least 1 stroke over par and often 2 shots over and more. It is very easy to get discouraged, however there is always that one shot or that one hole that you make it in, in less strokes than a par. And that my friend, is what keeps me going back, those strokes of genius lol.
The Apostle Paul wrote to the Church of Phillipi these immortal words. Phil 3:12-14 NLT - I don't mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.
There is a heavenly prize that is etched in the deepest recesses of our soul’s, and I believe that we will never be satisfied until we reach that prize. That is par for the Kingdom. On the inside of us is a heavenly call to fulfill the mission and destiny for which we were created and satisfy that sense of intrinsic purpose. That is the par that we are chasing after!
Paul points out three things here that will help us achieve all that God has placed deep down inside of us.
“Press on….!” Don’t give up! Do not quit! Keep moving forward. “Your enemy the Devil roams around like a roaring lion….” hollering and screaming at you to quit and give up, but don’t you do it. You stay the course and finish this race well. God is with you. He will never leave you or forsake you.
“Forgetting the past….!” I know you got sucker punched by the devil in whatever way he showed up. Maybe it was words spoken or actions taken by a “trusted friend” or “family member”, sickness in your body. Or maybe even, you just believe the press about yourself and didn’t get what you felt entitled to. It doesn’t matter, we all drink the Kool-Aid from time to time and it hurts and hurts deeply. But we must forget the blows and wounds and get up and look for that prize that is sparkling on the inside of us. Forget it, let it go, forgive and move forward. All things work together for our good…
Paul said that he focused on this one thing…. “Looking forward to what lies ahead….” King David said that he was young and now he was old but in all that time he had never seen those who put their trust in God ever forsaken by Him. Somethings are eternal and others are temporal, and things of greatest value are those which we can send on to heaven before us or the things we can leave for those who are left when we’ve finished our time here.
How can I pray for You?
Prayer page — Vineyard Moss Bluff (vineyardmb.org)
Peace and Blessings,
~Pastor Tim