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LINKS DAILY DEVOTIONAL
A ministry of Links Players International
FREE BUT NOT LOOSE
"The Lord says, 'These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men.'" (Isaiah 29:13, NIV)
You may recall the swirl of controversy that spun around Tiger Woods when he turned professional 10 years ago.
It wasn't that Woods' ability was questioned. He had just won his sixth straight national title--three junior amateurs followed by three United States Amateurs. No need to elongate the process; it was time to go pro.
Those miffed pointed to something else: Woods' endorsements. Before he had ever struck a shot as a professional, let alone won, he had been handed contracts from Nike and Titleist adding up to $60 million.
Some tour pros at the time were no doubt jealous. Others were concerned about what this might do to their beloved sport (of course, now they are happy to have reaped the ensuing benefits!).
But those who could be unbiased asked good questions. Would such a large chunk of change free Woods to compete at his highest level without the pressure of having to make cuts and earn checks just to pay the bills? Or would it relax him into mediocrity, robbing his competitive edge?
Well, questions answered. Woods dominated early on, winning six tournaments in his first season, including the Masters. And now he has collected a neat dozen major championship trophies, second only to Jack Nicklaus.
Woods' drive for something greater than money made him free rather than loose when the money was handed to him.
When our local church gathers for worship we pursue the same goal: free but not loose.
Jesus Christ came to set us free from the grip of any dictating forces outside Himself. We are not to be governed by the pressures of earthly pursuit, nor the confines of religious legalism. In worship, we can come freely to Him, some singing loudly, others praying in silence, some giving hand over fist, others serving the poorest of the poor, some shouting in triumph of hope restored, others weeping in repentance before the Father's simultaneous holiness and grace.
All of these acts of worship honor God. We are free to use any and all of them. What we are never free to do is come before God loosely--distracted, rote, in vain or with vanity.
The greater goal of God's glory should be our check and our motivation. When He is hallowed, we have done our best.
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Jeff Hopper
August 21, 2006
Copyright 2006 Links Players International The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.
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