Can I Get a Mulligan?

Happy is the person whose sins are forgiven, whose wrongs are pardoned.

– Psalm 32:1

There are few do-overs in the game of life. But sometimes there are in the game of golf. For example, if a golfer slices their shot into the woods or a deep sand trap, they might ask their opponent for a mulligan — a chance to try again.

Wouldn’t it be nice if we could get a mulligan every time we fail in life? Like for the times we speak rudely to a family member or cut off another motorist in traffic. Or when we gossip about someone at church or “forget” to report some income on our tax forms. Better still, how about a do-over for that night (25 years ago) when we shoplifted on a dare from a friend? Big or small, our failures can weigh heavy on our hearts. We can’t stop thinking about them and about what could have been. 

How different our lives would be if we could simply erase those ugly moments in time and start over with a clean slate. The truth is that we can all use a few mulligans.

The apostle Peter understood this sentiment. Although he was one of Jesus’ earliest followers, witnessed his Master’s miracles, and even walked on water (until his faith ran out), this bold individual known as The Rock failed the test more than once. For example, we can read in Matthew 26 about Peter’s declaration to stand by Jesus — and even die, if necessary — no matter what. But only hours after the Savior’s betrayal and arrest, Peter denied even knowing him. And not just once, but three times!

That’s sobering stuff. But the good news is that God understands our human limitations. What’s more, we can find his solution to this universal problem throughout the Bible:

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness,” we read in 1 John. And this passage from Proverbs delivers additional reassurance: “He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.”

That message on a popular bumper sticker sums it up: Christians aren’t perfect, they’re just forgiven. It’s when we desperately need a mulligan to erase our failures — whether we’re on or off the golf course — that we can always count on God’s undeserved kindness. We just need to confess our shortfalls to Jesus in faith. The result is a clean scorecard. A complete and total do-over. A mulligan.

“How far has the Lord taken our sins from us?” the psalmist asks. “Farther than the distance from east to west!”

 

Family Matters

As many as received Him, to them He gave the right, the authority, to become children of God, even to those who believe on His name.

– John 1:12

Baseball legend Babe Ruth. Apple mastermind Steve Jobs. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts. Country music superstars Faith Hill and Shania Twain. 

Other than being famous for excelling at their professions, what do they have in common? They were all adopted. 

According to the Adoption Network, about 115,000 children are adopted each year in the United States, and about 5 million Americans overall are adopted. And as anyone who has been through the process will tell you, adoption can be stressful, tedious, and very expensive. What’s more, arrangements with birth parents can fall through at the last minute, and agency fees, court costs, and other legal expenses can easily exceed tens of thousands of dollars. But for the right adoptive parents whose hearts are set on a special child, no price is too high.

Scripture reveals that God is quite familiar with the adoption process, its struggles, and legalities. That’s because in a very real sense, he’s the adoptive parent of every Christ-follower. When we first put our faith in his Son — Jesus Christ — as our Savior, God acted legally on our behalf and paid all the related costs. The result? Our adoption into God’s royal family.

But just as adopted children don’t pick their new parents, the apostle John’s gospel reminds us that the same is true for our heavenly adoption: 

“You did not choose me; I chose you,” Jesus told his disciples. “And I gave you this work: to go and produce fruit, fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you anything you ask for in my name.”

Before God became our Heavenly Father, we were spiritually dead. And since we broke God’s laws, our sinfulness had made us his enemies ... and him the Judge. What’s so remarkable is that this same Judge has declared us “not guilty” because of his willingness to pay the high price of our adoption through Jesus’ death on the cross. And for us — through our adoption — came a change of family, name, and home. As God’s adopted children, it also meant an array of new privileges and life-changing responsibilities.

The implications are remarkable. God — as our loving Father — is now approachable through prayer. He’s no longer some cold, impersonal Being who’s only accessible through a priest. In fact, Jesus outraged the strict religious authorities of the day by referring to God as “Abba,” which means daddy in the Aramaic language. And he happens to be a Daddy who watches out for his kids!

Indeed, the Creator of our vast universe cares for us so much and knows us so intimately that he’s literally counted the hairs on our head! He’s also willing to pay any price to adopt us into his family. And for every Christ-follower, that’s exactly what he did to forever convey his name, protection, inheritance, and love. Because to Him, family matters. 

We Will Serve the Lord

LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory in the heavens

– Psalm 8:1

We’re all worshipers in one way or another.

Christ-followers worship the true God revealed and proven through the Bible. Meanwhile, various world religions promote manmade gods, ancestor worship, and even the reverence of living things or nature (worshiping the creation rather than the Creator). And then there are popular false teachings such as New Age, Scientology, and Kabbalah. It’s a very long list.

Even strict atheists are fervent worshipers. True, they’re not Sunday morning churchgoers who proclaim Jesus as their Lord and Savior. But they — along with likely billions of other people — still bow down to their favorite idols. Some worship money, luxury, and pleasure while others bend the knee to intellect and higher learning. And others kneel at the altar of more negative gods such as alcohol, drugs, and illicit relationships. Meanwhile, the saying goes that there are no atheists on the battlefield. But there’s a different kind of conflict that rages within everyone: The God of the Bible versus the world’s gods and idols. It’s our hearts, minds, and souls that are the prizes of this heated, internal war.

Perhaps we don’t literally kneel before and worship graven images. But the fact is that that we secretly (or maybe not-so-secretly) cherish our own personal gods. Consider the things that we worry about or sacrifice our time and money for. Which issues make us angry? What brings us the most joy? And here’s a revealing question: Whose attention and applause do we most crave?

If the answers to these questions don't involve the Lord, we’re likely worshiping an idol. And idols can be difficult to recognize through the smoke and confusion of spiritual warfare. Even seemingly good things can evolve into inferior god things if they're misused. That's why it’s particularly important for Christ-followers to remember that our Creator — the God of the Bible revealed through Jesus — refuses to share his glory with false idols, manmade religions, and philosophies. We therefore must consider the God (or gods) in our lives, and then choose the One to serve and live for.

This dilemma is nothing new. Let’s consider this scene from book of Joshua, named for the courageous Old Testament leader who brought the Israelites into the Promised Land:

“Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord,” said Joshua. “But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living.”

Joshua next made the familiar declaration of faith that true worshipers repeat and affirm to this day: 

“But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

May it also be so for you and me.

Conversations with God

 Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts!

– Psalm 139:23

Christ-followers enjoy many special privileges, and one of the greatest is the ability to approach God in prayer about our blessings, troubles, concerns, and everything else that’s going on in our lives. Prayer is a give-and-take conversation. And it’s all possible through our faith in his Son, Jesus.

But this raises an important question: If we have such a special relationship with our Creator, why is it that some of our prayers go unanswered? After all, there are times when even the most seasoned Christ-follower feels like their petitions go no higher than the bedroom ceiling.

Let’s keep in mind that prayer is a bit like a phone call. Sometimes the message comes through loud and clear — as if the other person is in the next room. But sometimes there’s static or no one picks up the call. So, what's the problem? 

First, we need to ensure that the line is clear by dealing with any unconfessed sin in our lives. After all, the One who created us is already aware of our every thought and deed. Likewise, if we’re carrying a grudge against someone — like a spouse or co-worker — it needs to be ironed out before we can expect God to listen to us. And faith also plays a big part in the equation. If we pray but don’t think God has the power or desire to deal with our issues, why even ask in the first place?

What about those occasions when we pray sincerely and with good intentions, but our prayers still go unanswered? The short answer is that God does respond to every one of them. But sometimes his response is “no” or “not now.” As the Creator of all things past, present, and future, he knows the big picture — those people, places, and circumstances that make all the difference to our situation. And although it's not always apparent to us at the time, God's plans for us are always the best. He knows that it’s not always what we want that matters, but ultimately it's all about what we need.

Show Me the Way

 Blessed are those whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the Lord.

– Psalm 119:1 

The recent deep-sea implosion of the Titan submersible continues to dominate the news, which reports that all five passengers aboard the craft perished during their expedition to the wreck of the Titanic. Many consider the incident to be nothing more than a tragic accident. However, serious questions remain. For example, the sub apparently had no official certification regarding its adherence to basic maritime engineering standards, and Canada’s Transportation Safety Board has launched an investigation. Also troubling is that the head of the company that operated Titan had earlier dismissed critics’ safety concerns as being roadblocks to innovation. (He also died in the mishap.) And one passenger on a May 2021 test dive of the submersible reported that Titan’s propulsion system had stopped working and that its computers were unresponsive — all in just 100 feet of calm water. “I 100% knew (this tragedy) was going to happen,” he said.

Did disaster arise from overconfidence in Titan’s experimental design? If so, it was nothing new. As King Solomon observed centuries ago through the Old Testament's book of Proverbs: 

“There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.”

That’s true for physical death. But it’s also the case for spiritual destruction — a stern warning that Jesus declared to his followers and enemies alike. The Roman Empire that ruled Israel 2,000 years ago embraced multiculturalism, which allowed the worship of multiple false, manmade deities. On the other hand, the Jews worshiped the one true God. But if they were willing to get along with the Romans by acknowledging Caesar as their lord, the government largely tolerated them.

Fast-forward now to 21st century America, and we see that society continues to embrace multiculturalism and political correctness. Whether it’s Christianity, Islam, Hindu, or Buddhism, it makes no difference — particularly if you’re sincere in your faith. However, those who dare to stand for Biblical principles are denounced as naïve, bigots, and intolerant.

From the foundation of the world, Jesus knew that this perspective meant its proponents' certain death and separation from him. In response, he proclaimed, “I am the way and the truth and the life. “No one comes to the Father except through me.” And in Matthew 7:13 he likewise declared, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.”

Are these outrageous and narrow-minded claims? Only to those who are lost and refuse to believe in Jesus as their exclusive guide to salvation. But to those who follow him as their Lord and Savior, his stunning declarations are a simple roadmap that shows the only way to truth and eternal life.