God's Coaching #303

God's Coaching #303

Knowing the rules is important. At the 2010 Mission Hills Star Trophy tournament in China, not knowing the rules cost professional golfer Ryuji Imada 26 penalty strokes! Ryuji, who plays in the Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) in the United States, wasn’t aware of the rules in China. During the soft and wet conditions on the Blackstone course, Ryuji’s ball kept getting muddy. According to PGA rules, Ryuji would’ve been allowed to pick up his ball, clean it off, and place it one club length away from its original position. But rules in many places in Europe and Asia insist that players put their ball just one scorecard away from its original spot.

Ryuji learned about the rule at the end of his round and immediately informed tournament officials. Ryuji estimated that he broke the rule 13 times and was assessed a two-stroke penalty for each instance. That meant 26 strokes were added to his scorecard.

What’s the Score?

By not knowing and following the rules, Ryuji had no chance of winning the tournament. After the tournament he admitted to feeling stupid for not having read the rule book before playing his round.

As followers of Christ, we’re given a rule book to follow in our lives—the Bible. Just like it was Ryuji’s responsibility to read and know the book, it’s our duty to know God’s commands. Not knowing the rule was no excuse; Ryuji was still given a 26-stroke penalty. God expects us to know his rules. But knowing the rules takes effort. You have to read and memorize God’s Word in order to know what he wants you to do. In the book of Timothy, the apostle Paul writes that athletes cannot win the prize unless they follow the rules (2 Timothy 2:5). Ryuji learned that the hard way. Hopefully, you won’t have to.

On the Ball

How well do you know God’s rule book? Do you read it every day? Every week? Every month? Make a plan to learn your Bible better. Then you’ll be able to win a prize as God’s athlete.

Coach’s Comment

Athletes cannot win the prize unless they follow the rules. 2 Timothy 2:5