“ Golf… is the infallible test. The man who can go into a patch of rough alone, with the knowledge that only God is watching him, and play his ball where it lies, is the man who will serve you faithfully and well” – P.G. Wodehouse.
You don’t have to be a golfer to appreciate what’s known among golfers as a “mulligan.” What is it? A mulligan is a do-over, an opportunity to try again after hitting a bad shot. Mulligans aren’t in the official rule book of golf. It’s more like an informal courtesy among recreational golfers. Say you hit a ball off the tee, and it ricochets off a tree trunk into the pond, never to be seen again. That’s when you might hear a compassionate golfing buddy say, “take a mulligan.” If it weren’t for the mulligan, most people would quit playing golf after their first time trying because hitting that little white ball is so hard, and second chances make it easier and more enjoyable.
Look and you will see the mercy of a mulligan throughout the Bible. Time after time, God gave people who hit poor shots another opportunity. Peter is one example. At the Last Supper, Jesus warned Peter that he would deny Him three times before the rooster crowed. Peter, of course, vehemently protested, boasting that he was ready to go to prison and to death. “No!” Peter insisted. “Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you!” And all the other disciples vowed the same.” (Matthew 26:35).
It didn’t take long for Peter to fail. After Jesus’ arrest, Peter was sitting outside in a courtyard when a servant girl recognized him and claimed he was with Jesus. He denied it. Later, another servant girl and bystanders further questioned him, and each time, Peter denied knowing Jesus, even swearing and cursing to prove it. After the third denial, a rooster crowed, and Peter remembered Jesus’ prediction, leading him to weep bitterly.
Peter had failed and failed miserably. He must have replayed those denials again and again in his head. He probably assumed he could never make it right because Jesus had died. When Jesus rose from the dead and appeared to the disciples, Peter must have been thrilled that Jesus was alive, but you have to wonder if the feeling of failure lingered. Whether he still deserved to be a disciple may have been running through his mind. Yet, Jesus had promised Peter during the Last Supper that Peter seems to have forgotten: “But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers” (Luke 22:32 NIV). Did you catch that? “And when you have turned back…” Jesus expected his disciples to get back into the game after his failure. Did Peter Fail? He did. Peter was given a second chance at discipleship. He received a spiritual mulligan, a do-over in ministry.
Maybe you are struggling with a sense of failure today and wondering if you’re beyond hope. While we don’t want to go out of our way to fail because there can be consequences, we do need to trust that God is a God of second chances and miracles.
Discussion Questions:
- What does the idea of “mulligans” or second chances mean to you personally?
- Do you believe in the concept of “mulligans” or second chances in life, and why or why not?
- How does the idea of “mulligans” or second chances impact your view of forgiveness from others and yourself?