Not just one way

When it comes to the game of golf, I would have to improve markedly just to be regarded as a duffer! I do enjoy playing once in a while, even if one of my friends poked fun at the old bag and clubs I acquired at a garage-sale some time ago. Recently my son borrowed my clubs, and he thought they were so bad he immediately went out and bought a new set for himself!

One of the things I like about tennis is that you can settle on a particular racket you like, with the proper tension on the strings to suit your game. The pros, of course, have multiple rackets in their bags, but they are all identical, with the exception of minor string tensions to fit special circumstances. The golfer, though, has lots of clubs to select from. Every shot presents one with a choice. No doubt the best players could play a round of golf with very few clubs in their bags, but they insist on having as many as the rules allow so they will have the best opportunity to make an excellent shot. The variety of clubs enhances the physical skill they have cultivated over many years of practicing.

When it comes to sharing our faith, there’s not just one way. Note how Ronald Johnson uses the analogy of the variety of golf clubs.

“In my golf bag I have several clubs. Golfers use a variety of clubs in their bag, depending on where the ball lies, how far it is from the hole, and how strong the golfer’s swing is. It would be foolish to try to use a putter on every stroke from the tee to the green. Likewise, to use a sand wedge when the putter is called for would be a disaster for the shot and for the green. Yet many times what we advocate in evangelism is only one method of witnessing.” Ronald W. Johnson, How Will They Hear If We Don’t Listen? Broadman