Change!

After a few days of reflecting on last weekend’s British Open, I began thinking on a few different things. First, is how difficult it is to win on the PGA and the pressure to win a major tournament. Not to take anything away from Ernie Els, but Adam Scott lost the tournament more than Ernie won it. All though Ernie came in at -2 and most of the field finished over par, Adam had a big enough lead for most professionals to finish with the tournament in hand. But this is a major and the stakes are high and the pressure seems to be overwhelming. We see it many times on the tour, a man is leading a tournament and on day number four, “the wheels come off”! Second, is the mindset around the person winning and the thought process of the person leading a tournament. Then as the week unfolded I began to think of the tragedy that happened in Colorado. From the major fires that recently subsided, to the shooting at a movie theatre. What could be going on in an area that could cause some of these tragedies? I thought of the Columbine tragedy and the story surrounding that small community. I am not a superstitious person or someone who would believe in crazy wives tales, but I began think of the depravity of the heart of man. Where is the mind at when a person is committed to such an evil act?

Then a few things happened this past week that caused me to think in a more spiritual realm. The guys on tour have to have a certain mindset and sometimes lose their focus which causes the mistakes to end their tournament hopes and dreams. I was on my way to the gym early in the morning to workout. I just finished with my early morning quite time and was finishing in the book of Nehemiah. Nehemiah had rebuilt the wall around the city of Jerusalem in record time. But he did something that most people that could not be done. He rebuilt the wall with people that were not a part of his “Tribe”.

What will it take to get our minds set on community? What will it take to change the hearts of men and women? Jesus said in Mathew 15: 19 “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.” Only Jesus can change the heart. If we are to change the heart of man, we will need to have the heart of Jesus. Like any golfer that needs to change a swing flaw to become a better golfer to win a major or a tournament, we will need to go to Him to have our hearts changed.