What's Wrong with Tiger?

You may not be a golf fan, but few could escape the lack of performance of Tiger Woods 
in the US Open a couple of weeks ago.  Tiger had won the previous US Open, Masters, 
and British Open.  Everyone just assumed he would win this tournament as well.  But he 
didn't.  In fact, he barely made the second round cut.  So, what's wrong with Tiger?  

Tiger Woods has defined golf much like Michael Jordan defined basketball and Dale 
Earnhardt, Sr. defined NASCAR.  He has won so many tournaments so quickly that his 
name has become synonymous with golf.  He has earned more money quicker than any 
golfer in PGA history and he is on target to break every major record that can be broken.  
Golf has become a major television event and young people are picking up the game 
because of the influences of this young athlete.  His name "Tiger" describes the 
ferociousness with which he plays the game.

Yet, he's lost the last two tournaments in which he has played.  What's wrong with 
Tiger?  The answer is "Nothing!"  Unfortunately, some people create such high 
expectations in the minds of others that when they fail to measure up, someone wants to 
know what's wrong.

Sadly, many look upon Christians this way.  Let a "Christian" get caught in a scandal and 
it makes the front page of the newspaper.  Let a "Christian" fall and the media is ready to 
point it out.  Let a "Christian" sin and even some fellow-Christians are ready to pick up 
stones to remedy the problem.

The fact is that we all have weeks like Tiger Wood's—where we don't live up to 
expectations (either our own or others').  We may give it our best shot but we still come 
up short.  Our minds are not focused; our hearts are not pure; our spirits are downcast; 
and we end up messing up.  

Fortunately, we have a Heavenly Father who understands our failures.  In fact, He warns 
us of expecting too much out of such weak creatures.  In the first epistle of John, the 
beloved apostle alerts us, "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the 
truth is not in us" (1 John 1:8).

The good news is that our failures are not the end of the story.  Odds are that Tiger 
Woods will be back on top soon.  The truth is that Christians are always on top.  Even 
when we fail, we win—because of Jesus Christ.  John states in this same epistle, "But if 
we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the 
blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin" (1 John 1:7).  What a wonderful 
promise of God!   Victory!  Always!

In Him,
Leslie Chapman