Colossians 3:2 “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on the earth.” 

This past week is one of my favorite weeks of the year when the Masters Golf Tournament is held in Augusta, Georgia.  The physical beauty of the course on which it is played and the world’s best players make it preeminent.  While I will never play in the Masters, I love the game and its challenges.  It is my greatest and most enjoyable hobby and time with close friends.  It is a complex game much like life itself and one that requires both physical and mental skills.  Many of the best golfers in the world have stated that the game is much more mental than physical.  I agree and have achieved some of the physical skills, but I still have much to conquer on the mental side.  When I seem to play badly, it is easy to see that I have not kept my mental focus on the game.  I often make the statement to my buddies, “I lost my focus.”  This shows up by not hitting the ball straight, getting off course and in the rough, hitting into the water or a sand trap or many of the other mishaps in golf.  These troubles impair my game, score and enjoyment as I have to work hard to overcome them and regain my mental focus. 

How does this relate to life and the leadership of a spiritual man?  Our mental focus and thoughts control our minds and our lives, either for good or bad.  A mind under the control of the world leads to tension, anxiety, conflict, stress and loss of purpose and leadership.  A leader whose mind is focused on spiritual things above, has tranquility, confidence, purpose, strength, security and an eternal perspective.  God wants to transform our minds by renewing them by His Spirit and His Son Jesus.  This helps us to recognize the enemy’s lies and to fight back with truth, to distinguish what is best for us as Christians and to reject the ungodly.  The bottom-line advantage is like in golf where focus keeps us on the right path and out of harm’s way and traps.  If we focus on and obey God’s Word, we are really playing in the Masters Tournament of eternal life.  Our mind is the battleground like a golf course is to a golfer with many off-course trees, sand and water hazards.  So, stay focused and look down the fairway to see the reward at the end of the course.  One translation of Proverbs 4:23 says “Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts.”  As you lead your life and family, where is your focus?