Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! —2 Corinthians 5:17
Ever golfed? Golf is the most enjoyable/frustrating game I’ve ever played. It’s like a long walk with friends, mixed with 18 little puzzles (how to get that ball in the hole) along the way.
My friend Dave Stewart introduced me to golf and, after I had been playing about a year, one day every shot from the tee was straight and long.
“Whoo-hoo!” I thought. “I’ve done it! I’ve cracked the code! I’ve learned how to drive from the tee box!”
Until the next time out. I couldn’t straighten out a single drive.
But there is a word I’ve come to love in golf. “Mulligan.”
A mulligan is a permission to take another stroke after a bad one (especially when you’re trying to drive from the tee) without counting the previous stroke against your score. It’s a free stroke.
Your friend looks at your shot and says, “No worries. Tee it up and take another shot.” That is grace.
Life is a lot like golf. And, if you’re like me, you’re looking for mulligans along the way.
This is what I love about Christ. When you begin following him, he gives us a new start. A clean slate. A fresh beginning.
Not only does he not count your bad strokes against you, but he also gives you a new identity and a fresh new purpose. That is grace.
In fact, he declares that the strokes that sent your life into the rough, or into the weeds—or worse, into the water trap—no longer count against you. Everything is new.
So, today, start fresh. Let go of past memories and tee it up again.
It’s a new day. You are a new person. Surround yourself with friends who look at you with the eyes of grace and say, “No worries. Tee it up and take another shot.” This is a whole new game.
The new life has begun.
Image by Stefan Waldvogel Stefan Waldvogel from Pixabay
Your Daily Encouragement 