…think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith that God has given you. (Romans 12:3b, NIV)
The Rules of Golf are always in question.
By this, we do not mean that all those detailed words leave you guessing as to how to proceed. Rather, there are always those who wonder whether we need this rule or that one. Even purists allow for this. Debate can be healthy when technology pushes for an evolution of thought.
But here’s a commonly contested rule that has nothing to do with technology. Those who think the Rules should be relaxed will frequently wonder aloud, “Why do you have to play a ball from a divot in the middle of the fairway?” The answer to that question, though a question itself, will help move our discussion forward today. For the answer is this, “When is a divot no longer a divot?”
Because of the incremental refilling and regrowth of a divot, we would have an impossible time determining whether relief is permissible today but not tomorrow. That, friends, is what we call a nuance.
Such nuances come into play spiritually when we assess our own growth in Christ. As straightforward as an expression like “God said it, I believe it, and that settles it” may be, try that out in real life! When faith comes to action, there’s a lot of internal wrestling going on. This is especially true when we’re judging ourselves, because while we celebrate those who are “tough on themselves” when it comes to developing top-notch skills, most of us are not too demanding when it comes to character issues. We readily forgive ourselves and say, “I’ll do better next time.” Our personal divots take a long time to fill in!
Paul recognized this and challenged the believers in Rome to think differently about themselves than the average man or woman around them. Roman culture was much like ours—lax on personal morality and laudatory of strong, self-made heroes.
“Guard against the nuances,” he told them in so many words. “Your tendency will lean toward being easy on yourself. Don’t be! Step back with a sober mind and faith in the God whose eyes are always on you. See yourself as he sees you. Then trust him all the more for help in the way of change.”
It’s the same for us today, a question of clearing our heads. If we are to grow in Christ, we do so by accurately seeing how deep our divots really are and by depending on him to fill them with his Spirit.
—
Jeff Hopper
January 7, 2014
Copyright 2014 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.