“Other seeds fell into the good soil, and as they grew up and increased, they yielded a crop and produced thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.” (Mark 4:8, NASB)
Suzann Pettersen was being interviewed on TV after shooting a 65 in the second round of a tournament. It was a bogey-free round with seven birdies, and she was saying (modestly) that she had hit the ball “pretty well.” Then she said, “I had 30 putts, so I must have been hitting it good.”
Two things about that impressed me. The first was that she had 30 putts and shot seven under par. That is incredible ball striking! In fact, she hit every green in regulation, including hitting one par-five in two and two-putting that for birdie. Wow!
The second thing that impressed me was that she knew how many putts she had. Of course, her stats for that day (every fairway, every green, 30 putts) are pretty easy to remember, but I’m thinking she knows them for every round she plays. Do you know yours?
One of the best ways to improve your scoring is to keep track of your stats. That way you will know what to work on and where you are strong, not just from a “feeling” but from actual results. Every great player pays attention to their stats so they can improve.
The Bible is filled with events and stories where numbers are important. From the Parable of the Sower, referenced above, to the Parable of the Talents. From the size of Gideon’s army in the Old Testament to the number that were saved on the Day of Pentecost in the New Testament. God uses those numbers for our understanding and growth in different ways. They are not there for us to brag about, they are there for us to learn.
What kinds of statistics can we keep track of in our spiritual walk that will help us learn where we can improve? Your stats might be different than mine, but I want to know about fairways I’ve hit (days I’ve started with a good attitude and love in my heart), greens in regulation (positive approaches I’ve made to people, whether in e-mail or across a food counter), scrambling (how well I’ve recovered when I’ve blown it), and putting (how well I’ve stayed on line with God).
At the end of a round of golf I look at my stats, and I look at them again after five rounds. When I fail to do that, my game deteriorates rapidly. When I pay attention, my game comes back because I’m focused on the right things. Similarly, when I pay attention to my spiritual stats I can see where I need to pay better attention.
Some days my numbers look pretty good. Some days… well, I can always work on my putting.
—
Lewis Greer
August 10, 2015
Copyright 2015 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.