In case you live under a very large rock and haven't heard, Tiger Woods is playing golf at the The Masters this weekend. He has had a few issues over the past few months (DUH!) and the whole world seems to have an opinion on the man and his transgressions. Now I don't know Tiger personally (My wife Marilyn did meet him; back in the late 1990's she and her boss went to his home in Orlando to complete a real estate closing on the land where his current Orlando home now sits. Her memory is of a classic young bachelor whose home was furnished with golf clubs, and she got his autograph for our son Will.) but I do have some thoughts on one aspect of his story.
I keep hearing and reading that Tiger's reputation and popularity have a chance to be rehabilitated because USAmericans are such a forgiving people. On that I am afraid I have to call a giant BS! We might be willing to forgive Tiger, because let's face it- what he did has no effect on us. We are happy to give second chances to politicians, celebrities and athletes who fall because their sins rarely hurt us. You can hear this is people's comments about El Tigre. They say, "I hope he comes back; he messed up but he deserves a second chance. But if I had been Elin I would have kept beating him with that golf club!" We seldom forgive those who hurt us. We are willing to consider redemption if they EARN it. It's not really forgiveness if it is conditional. It's not forgiveness if you are willing to overlook it because it didn't happen to you. It's not forgiveness if you tell someone you forgive them and then hold their sin over their head constantly to remind them how guilty they should feel. But typically this is the kind of forgiveness we offer in our culture.
Jesus saw forgiveness is a very different light. When asked how often you should forgive someone, he said "70 times 7"- a infinite amount of times. He told the parable of the prodigal son (a guy who really knew how to sin!) to illustrate that when we fall, God waits for us with open arms. We don't have to "do" anything to earn God's grace; it is simply waiting for us when we turn back to God. And God not only forgives, He forgets. Our sins, once given to Him, are buried on the ocean floor. The old saying is so true; "There is nothing you can do to make God love you more, and there is nothing you can do to make Him love you less." As followers of Jesus, we are called upon to share that kind of love and forgiveness with the world, but we seldom do. We attach so many strings...
I find myself feeling a little sorry for Tiger. Certainly no one approves of what he did (hate the sin, love the sinner!) but many seem to have forgotten that he ever did anything else. I have been through some of what he is going though on a much smaller scale. I have been publicly condemned for my sins. I have felt the power of God's amazing grace in the form of unconditional forgiveness from my family and some wonderful friends. I have felt conditional forgiveness from some who want me to earn back their love. And I have felt rejection from some who choose to throw stones. But mostly, I have felt the overwhelming grace of God reminding me not of my guilt, but of His love for me as shown through the sacrifice Jesus made on all of our behalves. I have learned in new and amazing ways that while I might not be able to earn back your love, I do not NEED to earn anything from God- I already have it! Jesus doesn't want us to feel guilt; Jesus came that we might be free of our guilt and live an abundant life. It is Satan (the accuser) who loves guilt, who wants us to forget the grace Jesus came to offer us. Our pastor, Matthew Hartsfield, is fond of saying "the next time Satan reminds you of your past, just remind him of his future." God wins! I feel sympathy for Tiger because he is facing so much and trying to do it without Jesus. He is facing an often cold, often unforgiving world without the knowledge and comfort of grace. As someone who has been there, I just cannot imagine that. Because of Jesus, I know that I know that I know that I am still a beloved child of God, and that God can and will use me in this world. My sins- your sins- do not define us before God. Jesus does.
Today's bottom line- when you fail to forgive, or when you seek to use guilt or to make someone earn your love, you are being used by Satan. It's time that we Christ-followers started offering grace to a world that so badly needs it. And that begins by offering it to the people who have hurt us most. Have a blessed Sunday everyone!
Because of Jesus,
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