In all forms of athletic endeavor, the proper positioning of the feet can be critical to success.
Taking a proper stance, not only affects balance, but it also sets the torso in a proper position for the most proficient athletic move possible.
For example, most golf professionals teach their students to open the toes of their front foot, which gives the student the ability to make a proper full body turn on the follow-through.
Most sports are played on level playing fields. In golf, some courses are quite hilly, which means you have to adjust your feet to the terrain from one shot to the next.
In that respect, golf can be considered representative of our life journey. Our lives are certainly not played on a level playing field. We need to be able to adjust our stance to keep our footing stable.
Rather than focusing on our individual sports acumen, our time would be better spent discussing our stance and stability as we go through our daily challenges in life.
In 1 Corinthians 16:13-14, the Apostle Paul encourages us to “Be on your guard, stand firm in the faith; be men of courage, be strong. Do everything in love.”
These are words shared with the Christians in Corinth in a very long letter of instruction delivered to correct many misunderstandings in how they were practicing the Christian faith.
As we go through our spiritual lives, whether in business or personal matters, it’s quite possible we will need to make adjustments to our stance and our particular posture in handling unanticipated circumstances.
We can only make those necessary adjustments with a strong foundational base built on God’s Word.
And, having the counsel of others who are on the same page can be extremely helpful in addressing each distinct situation in the best possible manner.
Let’s return to golf and the significant relationship of the golf caddy, who best knows his player’s capabilities.
The caddy is able to step away and make an individual assessment, which his golfer might have not even considered.
And, as followers of Christ we all have a Spiritual Caddy. We simply need to call upon the Holy Spirit to guide us on the right path.
In Proverbs 3:5-6, we’re instructed to “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”
We all can benefit greatly from proper instruction and guidance as we go through life. If we think we can successfully navigate through life without the help of others, we are in for a rude awakening.
In sports, we will not be satisfied with our results. In business, we may easily fail or at least fall short of our true potential. In our personal lives, we most certainly will face much disappointment unnecessarily.
Let me end with these words of instruction found in 1 Peter 5:8-9: “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers around the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.”
Fellow followers of Christ, taking a proper stance can make all the difference in the world as we battle the Enemy of the Truth!