Never Too Late
By Dan Britton
“He called out to the Lord: ‘Lord God, please remember me. Strengthen me, God, just once more.’” – Judges 16:28a
Professional golfer Blayne Barber finally qualified for the PGA Tour. It was a dream come true! However, a week after playing in the qualifying tournament, he couldn’t get the leaf out of his mind. In the second round of the tournament, he had accidentally brushed a leaf in the bunker and marked his scorecard with a one-shot penalty for the infraction. Later that night, he learned it was a two-shot penalty. A week later, Blayne didn’t have peace signing an incorrect scorecard, so he disqualified himself, which cost him a spot on the PGA Tour. Blayne lived out the principle that it’s never too late to do the right thing.
In the Bible, we read about Samson—a man who had it all but got into a heap of trouble by making some really bad decisions. However, Samson realized that it wasn’t too late to make things right. At the end of his life, he called upon the Lord and repented of his sins.
There might be teammates, coaches, family members, or friends who are counting on you to go back and make things right. Whether it is one week, four years, or a lifetime, ask God to help you do the right thing, no matter what the cost. God wants to restore, reconcile, and redeem relationships that have been damaged. Remember, it’s never too late to do the right thing.
-
If you were Blayne, would you have gone back and disqualified yourself? Why or why not?
-
What prevents you from going back and doing the right thing?
-
As a competitor, why is it important to always remember that it’s never too late to do the right thing?
Judges 16:1–31
Father, I know that it is never too late to do the right thing. Give me the understanding to know when I need to go back and do the right thing, and the courage to do it. In Jesus’ name, amen.