In 2022, Scottie Scheffler won the Masters Golf Tournament. People usually only see the glory of the winning moment, but Scottie provided insight into the story behind that moment. In his post-win interview, he shared that on Sunday morning before the last round, he “cried like a baby” because he was so stressed out. His wife and teammate, Meredith, pulled him aside and reminded him, “God is in control, and the Lord is leading you. If today is your time, it’s your time. But if you shoot an eighty-two today, somehow you will use it for His glory.” To achieve the Greater Performance God intended, we need each other.
What Scottie Scheffler learned is the same thing Jesus taught us in the Garden of Gethsemane. There will be times in our lives and our sports when we feel overwhelmed by the moment. Maybe you’ve had more losses than wins in your job, and you feel the pressure mounting. Or perhaps everyone needs something from you, and your tank is empty. Trying to be everything to everyone all the time is heavy. The job feels heavy. Relationships feel heavy. Parenting feels heavy.Life feels heavy. It’s all too much.
As the author and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2), Jesus understood every aspect of our lives, including temptations, weariness, and, yes, even pressure.When it was time for Jesus to fulfill His calling as the long-awaited Messiah, He was led to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. While facing the realization of what He was about to go through on the cross, we see the pressure He felt: “He said to them (Peter, James, and John), ‘I am deeply grieved to the point of death.Remain here and stay awake with me.’ Going a little farther, he fell facedown and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me.Yet not as I will, but as you will’” (Matthew 26:38–39).
So, what did He do?
He surrendered to God the Father.
He surrounded Himself with others.
He surrounded Himself with others, asking the disciples to pray with Him and keep watch with Him. Then He surrendered to the will of His Father. The key to Greater Performance is surrender and surround. First, we surrender to the truth that God is in control and our identity is not in our performance on the field or court but in His sacrifice on the cross. We work from His victory, not for victory. Second, we surround ourselves with others that remind us that we are not alone. Being in a marriage, we have built-in teammates. Our role with our spouse is to speak truth covered in grace, pointing them to Jesus every step of the way. Although there may be moments when we want to fix something, our spouse may need us just to feel it. Sit with them, pray over them, and surround them with the Love of God.
When we surrender control to God and surround ourselves with others who point us to Jesus, our performance can’t help but become greater.
What is the most pressing challenge for you personally right now? What may God be doing in you with it?
If God is focused on who you and your spouse are becoming, do you provide the same level of concern for yourself, your spouse and your family? What invitation may God be providing you as a next step?