The Narrow Way - Week 10 Do I Really Know Him?

Matthew 7:21–23 | 6-Minute Read

Welcome back to The Narrow Way!

What a week it's been. Last week, I shared the exciting news that I earned status on the MENA Tour, and I'm still incredibly thankful for that opportunity. After everything it took to get to Florida, compete, and make it home, I was looking forward to settling back into training and preparing for what's next.

Well, life had a few other plans!

Since getting home, I've been working through tournament schedules, sponsorship conversations, and trying to figure out when I'll be competing again. Earning tour status was an answered prayer, but there are still plenty of unknowns about what the next few months will look like. I'm doing everything I can to prepare while trusting God with the things I can't control.

On top of that, my wife and I experienced a pretty unsettling situation in our neighborhood involving someone behaving aggressively and making threats. Without getting into the details, it was one of those moments where you're trying to protect your family, make wise decisions, and keep your emotions from getting the best of you.

And I'll tell you what, it's a whole lot easier to write about loving your enemies, extending grace, and trusting Jesus than it is to actually live those things out when someone is standing in front of you making it difficult.

We've spent nine weeks walking through the Sermon on the Mount, talking about prayer, worry, forgiveness, and what it means to follow Jesus. Then life gives you an opportunity to put those teachings into practice, and you realize just how much you still need Him.

Which brings us to this week's passage.

Do I Really Know Him?

In Matthew 7:21–23, Jesus says:

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven."

He goes on to describe people who claim to have prophesied, driven out demons, and performed miracles in His name. Yet Jesus responds with some of the most sobering words in Scripture:

"I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!"

These aren't people who have never heard of Jesus. They're people calling Him Lord and pointing to everything they've done in His name. But Jesus is showing us that religious activity and genuinely belonging to Him aren't necessarily the same thing.

That really makes me think about my own life.

I write these blogs, share my faith through golf, hand out Golfer's Bibles, and look for opportunities to talk with people about Jesus. I love doing those things, and I believe professional golf is the mission field He's placed me in.

But none of those things are what save me.

It's only through Jesus, His death and resurrection, and the grace He's given us that we can have a relationship with the Father. The good things we do should flow from that relationship, through the work of the Holy Spirit, rather than being an attempt to earn God's acceptance.

And that brings up a question I've been asking myself lately. Am I spending so much time doing things for Jesus that I'm forgetting to spend time actually getting to know Him?

Knowing Him Changes Everything

Last week, I shared the story of the elderly gentleman I met on the driving range in Florida. He was battling cancer, and after I gave him a Golfer's Bible, we had an incredible conversation about Jesus. I eventually learned he was a pastor, and he told me how cancer had changed the way he understood his relationship with God.

He said that now he just wants to be a little kid hanging onto his Father's leg.

I've thought about that quite a bit.

Here's a man who has spent years in ministry, and through one of the most difficult seasons of his life, he's learning to depend on his Heavenly Father in an even deeper way.

I think about that when I look at my own life. I have some pretty big goals in professional golf, and I'm going to work incredibly hard to pursue them. But I also know how easily those goals can consume my thoughts.

There's nothing wrong with preparing, making plans, or working toward something. Those are responsibilities I need to take seriously. But I never want to become so focused on the opportunities God has given me that I forget to spend time with the One who gave them to me.

And the same goes for how I respond when life gets uncomfortable. I can talk about forgiveness, but am I willing to forgive someone who's hurt me? I can tell people about the peace I've found in Christ, but am I turning to Him when I'm frustrated or uncertain?

I'm certainly not perfect at any of those things. But that's why I'm so thankful for the Holy Spirit, who continues to convict me, teach me, and help me become more like Jesus.

Pray With Me

Jesus, thank You for loving us and making a way for us to have a relationship with the Father. Thank You that our salvation isn't something we can earn through our accomplishments, but a gift of Your grace.

Forgive us for the times we become so focused on what we're doing that we forget to spend time with You. Help us recognize the areas of our lives we haven't fully surrendered and give us the courage to trust You with them.

Holy Spirit, continue working in our hearts. Teach us to love people the way Jesus loves us, extend grace when it's difficult, and find our peace in You when life doesn't go according to plan.

In Jesus' name, amen.

Take It to the Tee

This week, I want to leave you with a question.

Am I spending more time doing things for Jesus than I am actually spending time getting to know Him?

It's easy to get caught up in our schedules, responsibilities, goals, and even serving at church while our personal relationship with Jesus gets pushed aside.

For me, that means being intentional about spending time in His Word, praying, and allowing the Holy Spirit to work in my life, especially when things get busy.

I still want to play on the PGA TOUR. I'm going to keep preparing, training, and competing with everything I've got. And I want to use every opportunity golf gives me to share the good news of Jesus.

But if all of that disappeared tomorrow, I would still have the greatest gift I could ever receive.

I have Jesus.

And that's why the mission has always been:

Know Him and make Him more known.

Notice the order. Before we can make Him more known, we have to know Him ourselves.

See you next week.