THE MAIN INGREDIENT OF CHAMPIONS

"And He said to him, 'You shall love the Lord Your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is great and foremost commandment.'" (Matthew 22:37-38, NASB)

This week as I was watching the top 30 players in the world compete in the last tournament of the FedEx Cup playoffs, I was asking myself, What is it that elevates these players above thousands of great golf professionals in the world?

I noticed their fundamentals. All had a solid routine to get into each shot. Were postured well over the ball. Aligned themselves properly. Almost all had good grips, got the club in the proper position at the top of the swing, moved through the ball powerfully and finished with their weight in good balance on their left side.

All were good tee-to-green, had good short games, and were good putters.

All seemed to stay focused on their shot at hand.

On Thursday when they teed off I thought to myself, Any one of these guys could win this week.

After Tiger got the early lead, most of the media conceded there would be no contest, which turned out true.

So is there one quality the superstar has above the great?

My golf coach at the University of Houston, who was called the "winningest coach in golf," having led his teams to 13 NCAA championships in his career, looked for talent. "Give me a boy with talent and I will motivate him to be a winner."

But in my 60-year career as a player and student, I see one quality that lifts one talented player above an equally talented player: DESIRE. The great players have talent, but the super great have talent and passion. They want to be the best and are not satisfied with just winning. They dream about the majors. About unseating Jack Nicklaus, or Greg Norman, or Tiger Woods—whoever is the number one player in the world. Their desire consumes them. They eat golf. They will themselves to win. Obstacles become stepping stones. Their passion makes discipline almost automatic. They're determined, devoted, and completely dedicated to greatness.

In our life as followers of Jesus, He points us to the Main Ingredient of His true disciples: passion. Passion for God. A love that is above all else.

In golf, if you can find one thing for your mind to think about that will make other things happen automatically, you perform at a higher level. Any seasoned player will tell you the golf brain stops when too many things are going on inside. Jesus gives us the one, the foremost thing to glue our minds to: Loving Him with all that is within us.

He calls this "the great…the great…and foremost commandment."

Love God with singleness of mind and all else falls in place.

Dear Father, Raise up great lovers of You. Great disciples. Men and women who are passionately in love with You and comprehend Your love for them. Make me such a one.

--

Jim Hiskey

September 19, 2007

Copyright 2007 Links Players International

The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.