I do not play golf. My father-in-law is an avid golfer and has taken me golfing on several
occasions. He did his best to teach me the basics of the game and I enjoyed the experience.

However, my interest in golf never rose to the level of wanting to play regularly. Nonetheless,
there were several lessons I learned during the few times I attempted to play that can be applied
not only to the Great Commission generally but also to BIMI’s 2024 theme specifically—Total
Consecration To Reach Every Nation.

First, and maybe most important, was the lesson that I had to keep my eye on the ball—this was
a lesson about concentration. The temptation for me was to look up quickly after swinging
to see where the ball was going. Sadly, there were several (actually many) times that I looked
up only to find that my ball was still on the tee. Other times, my attention went elsewhere and
the ball ended up going in the woods or in the water. Spiritually, this reminds me that we must
keep our eye on the ball when it comes to missions. When Jesus told us to
look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest (John 4:35), He was
not speaking about a passing glance but rather an intense focus. It is easy
to lose sight of what is truly important. There are many distractions and
temptations that will take our eyes off the ripe harvest fields of this world.

If we focus on ourselves or on the many distractions around us, we are not
going to win the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians
3:14). It is important that we focus intently on what Jesus said to focus on
so that we can someday hear His “Well done.” Perhaps it could be said this
way: There must be total concentration to receive God’s commendation.

A second lesson I quickly learned was that it took money to play golf—
David H. Snyder this was a lesson about cost. When my father-in-law was introducing me
President/General Director to the game, he was very generous and paid my way. However, it became
apparent that if I were going to make golf a part of my life, I was going to
2 BIMI Number 2, 2024