Oh Tiger

First we were alarmed. “Tiger Woods has been involved in a serious car accident near his home in Florida,” the breathless TV announcer said. We were told he was in critical condition. We were told his wife courageously pulled him from the crumpled wreckage of his Cadillac Escalade. Would he survive? Would he be crippled or maimed? Would one of the greatest golfers of all time have his career cut short?

Then we were confused. The anchor, with the appropriate amount of concern in his voice, told us, “Police now confirm that Tiger Woods crashed into a fire hydrant coming out of his driveway before hitting a tree in his neighbor’s front yard.” Wait a minute. He ran into his neighbor’s tree? How far was he from his driveway? How fast could he have been going? The airbags didn’t deploy?

Then we got suspicious. “Police now tell us that Tiger Woods’ wife, Elin, used a 9-iron to break out the rear window of his Escalade to pull Tiger out of the vehicle.” Let me get this straight…his wife used a golf club to break out the rear window of an enormous SUV to pull a nearly 200 pound man out of the front seat?

Then TMZ.com got involved and the whole internet and cable TV universe was turned upside down.

Why are we so interested in Tiger Woods and his marriage problems? I don’t know. Maybe, like watching an episode of the Jerry Springer show, seeing other peoples screwed up lives makes us feel better about our own. Maybe, as in the case of the governor of South Carolina, we love seeing the mighty knocked down a peg or two. Or maybe it’s because when we see things like this a part of us realizes that no matter how much money, power or fame we amass…it’s still not enough.

Tom Brady, the quarterback of the New England Patriots, told Steve Croft of the TV show 60 Minutes a few years back, “Why do I have 3 Super Bowl rings and still think there’s something greater out there for me…I reached my goal, my dream, my life…I think, God, it’s got to be more than this. I mean, this…can’t be what it’s all cracked up to be.” (11/3/05) This from a guy who is living the life most of us want to live! He’s handsome, rich, famous, a great athlete and has the most beautiful women in the world falling at his feet. And yet, it’s still not enough.

Tiger Woods is the greatest golfer in the world. He may be the greatest of all time. Forbes magazine reported back in October that Tiger Woods was the first athlete in the world to be worth one billion dollars. He’s got a beautiful wife, two beautiful children, a hall of fame career, more money than he could ever spend and yet…it’s still not enough.

This is not a new story, you know. In fact it’s as old as time itself. Back in the Garden of Eden God gave Adam and Eve everything and told them to rule over it (Gen. 1:27-31). But it wasn’t enough. They had God. They had each other. They had dominion over every beast and every bird. And they could eat from any plant or tree in the garden…except one. The rest is history.

Before we clutter up the entire countryside with storage buildings to hold all that other stuff we thought would satisfy us maybe we need to step away from the problem just a bit and gain a little perspective. God told Jeremiah that he’s created us to swim in rivers of living water. But we’d rather dig our own wells. And we keep coming up empty, don’t we. (Jer. 2:13) When will we realize that we can never accumulate enough money or fame or awards or women to satisfy our empty hearts? It’s killing us but maybe if we dig just a bit deeper…

Listen, before you plunge that shovel deeper into that never-ending pit of mud consider this, Jesus said, “Come to me all who are weary and heavy-laden and I will give you rest.” (Matt. 11:28) Isn’t that what you’re looking for?

Most Thankful

John had horrible acne as a child. Now, these days there are great treatments for acne that you can buy over the counter but back when John was a child having bad acne meant regular trips to the dermatologist for dry ice treatments, harsh chemicals and time under an ultra violet light. John would later recall that when he left the doctors office his face was red and oozing and swollen and would stay that way for days.

Needless to say John wasn’t the most popular kid in school. So on nights when many of his peers were on dates, John would spend endless hours studying his Bible, underlining passages, talking and crying to God. Though he didn’t understand, then, why a loving God would shackle him with such social burdens, today John Piper is eternally grateful. And so are the millions of others around the world, like me, who have been impacted by his thought provoking preaching and inspiring books such as Future Grace and Don’t Waste Your Life.

Unlike John, Charles had the perfect life, or so it seemed. He was rich, powerful and at 38 in the prime of his life. Then, as if God began pulling at a loose thread, it all began to unravel. His boss was under criminal investigation. But he would never go to jail. Charles, as his right hand man, though, would. Just months after being on top of the world Charles soon found himself in a prison cell, disbarred, disgraced and discouraged. But what seemed like the end of the world to some meant salvation for Charles. Because it was in that prison cell that Chuck Colson discovered the love of God and once he was released founded Prison Fellowship International, the largest prison ministry in the world.

As I was putting together the list of things for which I was most thankful this holiday season I thought about John and Charles. I also thought about Franklin Graham and the Apostle Paul and so many others. You know, it’s easy to thank God for the good things in our lives. I’m overwhelmingly grateful for my beautiful wife, my three healthy children, my house, my job, and my friends. But what about the bad things? What about the times when things don’t go our way? I wasn’t very thankful when my high school sweetheart broke up with me. In fact I cried for months! But if she hadn’t followed her heart I never would have had the opportunity to follow mine and meet the perfect woman God had created for me!

God’s word says, “I know the plans I have for you…plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope!” (Jer. 29:11) But in order for God to bring those plans to pass, in order for God to make “all things work together for good to those who love Him and are called according to his purpose” (Rom. 8:28) he needs to drive. And oftentimes it hurts when he wrestles control of the wheel away from our hands. But God loves us so much. He knows that we want to be happy. But he also knows the only thing that will make us happy, temporally and eternally happy, is Himself. So John has acne. Charles has a criminal record. I have a broken heart. Lazarus dies. (John 11) and Paul is blinded on the road to Damascus. (Acts 9) What’s your problem?

If we truly want to be the person God created us to be, to live up to our full potential, we need to stop trying to understand God and start trusting him. Then thanking him! Paul says in Ephesians 5:20, “Always give thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God.” Give thanks even when it doesn’t make sense, even when you don’t feel like it. You may not understand why you lost your job but God does. And if you’ll let him, like John and Charles and Paul, he might just turn the worst thing that ever happened to you into the best thing; the thing for which you are most thankful.