The MulliganSample

The Course Less Played

God created us to play the course he designed the way he meant it to be played. It’s a wonderful course—the most beautiful ever designed, the most “royal and ancient” of all—but it isn’t easy. God eagerly invites us to play it according to his rules and in a relationship with him. Those are not burdensome terms, but the course seems intimidating to many, so it remains the course less played. Most people go play their own course their own way.

We have that choice. God gave us free will to play whichever course we desire. But as much as going off to play your own course seems like it would lead to freedom and happiness, it really doesn’t. It separates a person from God and eventually leads to frustration and futility. Though it’s easier to play than God’s course, it’s much harder to enjoy.

No one but Jesus has played God’s course the way it was meant to be played. He’s the only person ever to make the cut. But because we are given his perfect scorecard, we no longer have to worry about playing a perfect round. We can simply enjoy being with God on his course and learning how to play his way. We want to do as well as we can, obviously; the better we do, the more we get out of the game. But we don’t have to be afraid of missing the cut.

That’s the offer before you and every other human being, and accepting it not just once but every single day will transform your life. The course less played includes much more than eternal life, as wonderful as that is. It involves a relationship with God, a new perspective on life, and joy in the journey. And it’s an adventure every step of the way.

1. Why do you think many people find it hard to play God’s course by his rules in relationship with him? What is the appeal of going to play your own course your own way?
2. Jesus said, “Follow me.” In one sense, that decision is a one-time commitment. But it also involves numerous decisions each day of our lives. What one or two steps can you take today in your relationships and activities to follow Jesus on the course less played?
3. Pastor Max Lucado says, “We are always in the presence of God. … There is never a non-sacred moment! His presence never diminishes. Our awareness of his presence may falter, but the reality of his presence never changes.”

How does this truth distinguish “the course less played” in our lives from all other options? How does it differ from the “course” we design for ourselves?