Victory

It was great to watch Rory Mcilroy win his first PGA tour title at Quail Hollow yesterday. The young lad won’t even be 21 until tomorrow. I was happy for him as he made his eagle on the fifteenth which pretty well sealed the victory. And then he sunk a long birdie on the 18th that was just the icing on the cake. As the ball dropped in the roar from the patrons was deafening. It was exciting and gratifying to watch as a fan. What a great moment and a great victory. I’m sure it will be a good memory for him.

But like all memories it will fade. The money earned will be spent. His career will go on for good or bad and life will continue on for him, his colleagues and for the rest of us. It was just a few outstanding moments in his life. Tiger Woods also won a prestigious tournament at a young age - a little piece of history the network announcers were very keen to share with their audience. I wondered if Rory would make the same foolish mistakes, commit the same dreadful sins that Tiger did. A horrible thought I know. But somehow reaching fame and achieving the monetary status all means very little after a time. Victories are just that way. Golf, like much of life, is like war. You never win the war; you can only win a battle. The next week or day, hour or moment the war resumes. The struggle continues and so does the internal battle within us.

I’ve had my victories as well. Oh, nothing like a winning a golf tournament. But, I’ve had my moments. The memories have faded so much, however, that I can’t remember the feeling. All I have is a piece of paper commemorating the achievement and the vague recollection of the victory meal. I’m glad my life is not made up of these moments or more importantly, searching after these moments. I’m not seeking the next achievement, the next success. My happiness is grounded in my faith in the Lord Jesus Christ whose finished work was a victory for all who believe. That is the one true victory of all time.

Let’s all enjoy those victories we can in this life, but let us never forget the victory over sin that has been won for all time by the Lord Jesus Christ.

Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. 1 Corinthians 15:51-58