One of my favorite Father’s Day activities is watching the conclusion of the US Open golf tournament. I love the US Open because it is typically played on the most challenging golf courses in the world. It is a gruelling test of attrition for the world’s best players. Typically, the grittiest players end up on top at the end of 72 holes. It’s critically important to keep the ball in the fairway at a US Open, but perhaps even more important is a players ability to scramble.
Scrambling in golf is defined as a players ability to bounce back from an errant shot. When a drive ends up in the rough, or in a sand trap, a players capacity to take a bad situation and salvage it, or better yet capitalize on it, is a true sign of greatness. It’s one of many reasons why I am not a great golfer. When I slice a shot off the tee, I tend to throw my club, kick my golf bag, or mutter about how much I hate golf. This is about the worst thing you can do. The best golfers suppress their negative emotions, analyze what went wrong, and get it right the next time.
It’s a great example of what to do in life. After all, we will hit a few errant shots from time to time in the game of life. We are destined to make all kinds of foolish and bad decisions. This is inevitable. What ensures our future success is the ability to recover quickly and correct what went wrong.
In what is perhaps the greatest bounce back story in the Bible, Peter denied he knew Jesus three times while Jesus needed him the most. What made this betrayal particularly offensive was that Peter had boasted before everyone just a few days before that he would prove to be Jesus’ most loyal friend. It was a monumental failure. Upon Jesus resurrection, I imagine the relationship was a bit awkward. I’m sure Peter was elated to witness the miracle of Jesus returning to life, but what would become of his role in the kingdom after such an epic defeat. Jesus helped Peter recover in the following ways…
Don’t make it personal
You failed, but that doesn’t make you a failure. It’s natural to identify ourselves with the sum total of our actions and behaviors, but don’t take a magnifying glass to your weaknesses. Learn to move on and grow. What you focus on in life, expands. If we let our thoughts constantly drift towards our failures, defeats, and troubles, we will start to live into that identity.
In Jesus encounter with Peter following his betrayal, he took Peter through a redemptive process (John 21:15-25). Peter denied Jesus three times and Jesus asked Peter to affirm his love three times. Jesus was helping Peter move on. You failed, so what? It does not have to define you. You don’t have to drag it around for the rest of your life. What matters most is what you do next.
Focus on the big picture
Let’s return to the golf analogy for a moment. When a golfer hits an errant shot, it’s critical they don’t compound that mistake by making another one. It’s easy to go from one sand trap to another and find oneself in a real mess. It’s a long game. While every shot is important, one shot will not make or break a tournament.
Back to Jesus conversation with Peter. Jesus immediately began to focus Peter’s attention to what was next. He instructed him three times to get busy with the task of caring for the people God had entrusted to him. God had called Peter to lead the church, but if he got hung up on his act of betrayal and continued fishing for the rest of his life, he would’ve missed out on everything God had created him for. Jesus wanted Peter to recognize that his failure did not equate to a pink slip. He was not disqualified. If anything, this event would add to his street cred and make him more moldeable. This event was just a blip on the radar screen. God had so much more in store for him. Jesus wanted him to see the big picture.
Don’t let your failure define you. Don’t let setbacks sideline you. Don’t get stuck in the events of the past. Learn to scramble like a good golfer and bounce back. If Peter could come back from betraying the Son of God on the night of his crucifixion, I’m confident that you can recover from whatever you are dealing with.