On Sunday, Sergio Garcia won the Masters golf tournament in what has been described as the best finish in Masters’ history. That is a lot of history, and a lot of great finishes.
Garcia is a Spaniard who burst on the golfing scene some twenty years ago with a “can’t miss” tag on his back. He was expected to be one of the leading golfers of the world if not the very best. While Sergio has had a good career, winning a number of tournaments and making a fortune, he had never won a “Major” tournament until Sunday.
He actually came close to giving up his dream. He wore the dreaded title of “the best golfer to never win a major.” He started 74 major tournaments without a victory. That’s over 18 years of major tournaments.
Sunday changed it all–because he wouldn’t give up and wouldn’t get down on himself.
There is a lesson here for all of us.
Perseverance matters.
In the church we talk about perseverance in a number of ways.
We talk about the perseverance of the saints. We note in Scripture that “he who endures to the end will be saved.” We also note the people who did not give up, even in the worst circumstances of life. Think of John the Baptist or David or even our Lord.
Life always tries to get us down. The voices around us and within us keep telling us to quit.
God tells us to never give up and to never quit trusting in the God who loves us and gave His Son for us.
Years ago, a pastor preached about how Satan works. He tempts us to do the worst and when we do, he tells what a failure we are and how we’ve made such a mess of our life.
It’s Satan, not God, who talks about being a failure. It’s Satan who encourages us to give up or take our own life or quit trying.
God says the opposite. He reminds us that as long as there is God, there is hope. He shows us the stories of people who lived lost lives but who were saved. God encourages us to seek Him and to never give up on Him.
We even have a whole chapter about faith and perseverance, describing people “of whom the world is not worthy” (Hebrews 11:38). These were people of faith who did not give up in persecutions and trials. The writer of Hebrews wanted us to read of these people and follow in their way of perseverance and faith.
May it be so in our lives. Don’t become weary in doing well (Galatians 6:9), and don’t quit seeking the God who loves you.
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