The Whiff

by Dennis Doughty, Minister

Tunica Church of Christ Tunica, MS

 

Nothing is more embarrassing in golf than the “whiff.”  Swinging and totally missing the ball is perhaps golf’s greatest mis-que.  But it even happens with PGA pros.  Kevin Na whiffed one on the tee at the 2001 Phoenix Open. Rory McElroy whiffed twice on the tee at the 2009 Irish Open. Many of us saw Phil whiff under the tree on number one this year at Masters. It happens.

 

As I say; Golf is life, Life is Golf; The truth is, as in golf, so in life, we all “whiff” from time to time. Actually, the word “Sin” refers to “missing the mark” or to “Whiffing”. Both the Hebrew word (Hata) and the Greek word (Hamartano) means “To miss the mark, to fall short, to sin.” As (Romans 3:23) says; “for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.”

 

Even the great Apostle Paul “Whiffed” sometimes, he said, “for I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.  Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.” 
Then he proclaimed, “Oh Wretched man that I am!” (Romans 7:19,20,24)

 

Two Points I want to make about whiffing and sinning:

 

There is no Penalty for a Whiff

Think about that.  If you miss the ball, we don’t add a penalty stroke to your score.  The whiff counts the same as a well struck ball: One stroke.

 

So too, for those of us saved by the blood of Christ; there is no penalty for “missing the mark.” (Romans 8:1) states, “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Our “whiffs” are forgiven by the grace of God and the power of the blood!

 

As John wrote, “If we walk in the light as he is in the light the blood of Christ Jesus keeps on cleansing us from all sin. (1 John 1:7)

 

So don’t give up because you can’t live a Christian life without sinning. Don’t quit praying, worshiping, studying, over some failure in life. It is forgiven by the blood of Calvary.

 

We get to try again

We aren’t eliminated from the game when we miss the mark. We may be disappointed, but we don’t quit, we don’t WD, we step back onto the tee box, or back into the bunker, and keep giving it our best shot.

 

Christianity is the religion of second chances. None of us can live the Christian life perfectly.

 

It is important that we stay in the game and finish the course. No one can birdie every hole, no one can live a life without sinning.

 

In golf we may hit one into the woods, or skull one over the green, or yes, occasionally whiff one, but we keep playing until we get the ball into the hole, and we finish the course. (2 Tim.4:7) As Paul said, “I have fought a good fight, I have kept the faith, I have finished the course. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteous, and not to me only…But to all those who love his appearing.”

 

Let us keep playing the game, let’s finish the course, play through the mistakes, and post a score. If we do that, there is a great reward waiting for us.