I’ve always envied professional golfers. I’ve dreamed of being able to play in a big-time tournament like The Masters. That was until Sunday. Sunday I wouldn’t have traded places with professional golfer Jordan Spieth for all drivers and putters in the world.
Jordan had his second consecutive Masters tournament all wrapped up. Leading by 5 strokes after 9 holes, Jordan bogeyed hole number 10 and then hole number 11. At number 12, Jordan faced the shortest hole at Augusta National, a 155-yard, par 3. But instead of righting the ship he hit his shot into the water. Next there was a drop, then a chunk shot back into the water and then a bladed shot that went over the green. The next thing you know Spieth is putting for a quadruple bogey and for what ESPN called, “the greatest collapse in golf history.” Jordan Spieth went from being 5 shots ahead to 3 shots behind… all in one hole. And he never recovered. The Masters, the greatest spectacle in golf had slipped away. And Jordan Spieth will go down in golf history for all the wrong reasons.
Now, had I been in Jordan’s situation I can guarantee you that sort of collapse would have never happened. Somebody should have taken Jordan aside and told him told him about the most beautiful secret in all of golf. It’s called a mulligan. What is a mulligan you ask? A mulligan is a do-over! A “forgetaboutit.” It’s a “I get to try that again.” Mulligans are golf’s little miracle! That last shot that ruined your round? It never even happened. Poof! Gone! You get to hit the ball again! Are mulligans legal? Well, they are when I play!
And they are in the game of life, too.
I’ve had to rely on mulligans tons of times in my life. God has been good to allow me mulligans. He calls mulligans, “grace.” He gives us do-overs. He gives us second, third and fourth chances. Instead of making us try to live by a list of rules, hard-lines and punishment, God offers us His grace. He gives us an opportunity to try again. God stops keeping score when we fall on His grace. He forgets that we ever took that bad shot. When we agree with Him that we have sinned and repent of that sin His grace takes over. It’s a life-mulligan. And it’s nothing that we’ve earned. It’s God’s wonderful miracle gift.
Grace.
Have you quadruple bogeyed some part your life? ‘Been there. Ask God to extend His grace to you. Walk away from your sin and into His miracle called grace. He has promised that when we confess our sin that His is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us.
In other words, take a mulligan.