Let’s Make a Deal!

Well…I was humbled a little bit recently.  I play in what’s called the ‘Match Play’ league at the golf club in New Cumberland.  Last year I won the championship.  Needless to say, I went into this season brimming with confidence.  Unfortunately, I had a slow start to the season.  I didn’t win a match for a long time.  I was able to put together a nice little run at the end to make the playoffs.  I won my first playoff match.  My second-round opponent was a guy who was a stickler for the rules.  He insisted that we ‘play it as it lies.’  Let’s just say, I didn’t fare well.  I learned I wasn’t as good a golfer as I thought.  I’ve tried to come up with a way to put a positive spin on my performance, but it’s just not possible.  I stunk that day.

            I guess that’s what happens when I have to play by the rules.  You see, my regular partner and I play for fun most of the time, so we play by the winter rules.  What that means is, we roll our ball over so it’s sitting on top of the grass where it’s a little easier to hit.  We don’t move it out of trouble or anything like that; we just roll it over so we get a ‘preferred lie.’  In my match I had to ‘play it as it lies.’  I found that makes the game significantly more challenging.

            It occurs to me that my partner and I have been taking the easy way out all this time.  Instead of dealing with the frustration of hacking the ball out of the rough or trying to learn how to hit it in the fairway, we’ve just rolled it over and kept going.  It’s simply and easy, and a whole lot more fun.

            As I was pondering how to deal with this situation in the future, it hit me that many of us do the same thing in our Christian life.  Let me explain.  It usually isn’t long after we become a Christian that we are exposed to our marching orders.  In the opening chapter of Acts Jesus says, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses.”  As Christ-followers that’s our primary task.  We are to give witness to his ability to change people’s lives.  You’ll notice this assignment isn’t optional.  Jesus said it very simply.  “You will be my witnesses.”  There’s not much room for interpretation in that statement.  It’s something we’re supposed to do, period.

            Obviously, that’s not always an easy thing to do.  Some of us just don’t feel qualified.  We lack the skills or the training.  We don’t have the most outgoing personality.  We feel disqualified or ill-equipped for the task.  And so, we take the easy way out.  We make a deal with God and say, “Lord, I will do everything I can to grow spiritually.  I will learn my Bible inside and out.  I’ll be the best volunteer you ever had.  I’ll work at the church five nights a week if you want.  You let me off the hook when it comes to this witnessing thing, and I’ll prove my love for you in these other ways.  That’s the deal.”  Instead of dealing with the challenges that accompany mixing it up with irreligious people, we just make a deal and keep going.  It’s simple, it's easy, and a whole lot more comfortable.

            The problem is…God isn’t interested in any deals.  He wants us to experience the Christian life as he intended.  He wants us to be out there on the front lines doing what we can to share his love with people.  We know it’s a risky proposition.  But is there really another choice?  I don’t think so.