Is It Time for a Mulligan?

Is It Time for a Mulligan?

By Dr. Gerald House

I recently watched a movie called “The Mulligan.” It is based on a popular book of the same name, written by Ken Blanchard and Wally Armstrong in 2007. Essentially, it is a parable of second chances. Coincidentally, this movie parallels a few books I recently finished by the late Dr. Myles Munroe, which discuss discovering your true purpose created and given to you by God. We often choose the secular path to prosperity instead of following God's plan for our lives. The world will readily steer you away with its false truisms designed to derail your life. However, the secular version of purpose often brings frustration and a sense of emptiness. Only God’s specific purpose for our lives can sustain and prosper us because it employs the unique gifts God has blessed us with individually. Are you following God's purpose for your life or the secular version of purpose? Perhaps you need a mulligan.

I've found myself increasingly interested in parables. I recall a time when I wondered why Jesus didn’t simply say what he meant, instead using parables to convey his message. Now, I better understand why parables are used, especially in the Bible. Jesus employed them to reveal spiritual truths in a relatable way. He was also testing his audience's hearts to assess their understanding. When the disciples asked Jesus about speaking in parables (Matthew 13:10-16), he told them it was so they could discover the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven; however, he explained that some people would not understand the parables because their hearts weren’t ready to receive them. He had just spoken to them through another parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:3-9). Jesus was a master of parables. The four Gospels in the New Testament are filled with them. For example, the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30) highlights the importance of using our skills to contribute to God’s purpose. The parable emphasizes that faithful service is rewarded, while neglect leads to loss.

Often, we realize our lives are headed in the wrong direction. What we once believed was our purpose often turns out to be a passion for success in the secular world. We may overlook our personal and family relationships while chasing what we mistakenly see as our destiny. Dr. Myles Munroe explains that success in today’s world is often judged by superficial rewards, such as wealth, power, and fame, as portrayed by the media (Munroe, 2016). We see evidence of this in two parables by Jesus: The Parable of the Shrewd Manager and the Parable of the Rich Fool.

Jesus told his disciples: “There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions. So he called him in and asked him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.’

“The manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do now? My master is taking away my job. I’m not strong enough to dig, and I’m ashamed to beg—I know what I’ll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.’

“So he called in each one of his master’s debtors. He asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ “‘Nine hundred gallons of olive oil,’ he replied. “The manager told him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it four hundred and fifty. ’Then he asked the second, ‘And how much do you owe?’ “‘A thousand bushels of wheat,’ he replied. “He told him, ‘Take your bill and make it eight hundred.’

“The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light. Luke 16:1-9, NIV).

The Parable of the Shrewd Manager warns Christians about their spiritual lives, comparing them to how non-believers manage their worldly affairs. The steward in this parable ultimately took his responsibility to prepare for the future seriously, knowing he would have to give an account of his actions to the master (LaPierre, 2022). Why don’t we do the same in our spiritual lives, understanding we too will have to answer to God, our master? As a result, what we consider wise in the world may not be viewed the same way by God, as shown in the Parable of the Rich Fool.

And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’

“Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’

 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’

 “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God” (Luke 12:16-21, NIV).

“What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self (Luke 25, NIV)?

The Parable of the Rich Fool illustrates how someone can do everything right by worldly standards and still fail to please God. What did the Rich Fool do wrong? Nothing, according to business school logic. In fact, this school would praise him for following all the rules to succeed. Nevertheless, he only looked out for himself, showing no concern for others or charity. Essentially, he was not a good steward of God’s resources.

Golf started in Scotland during the 15th century. The mulligan was named after Canadian golfer David Mulligan, who made a poor first shot while playing with friends, and his partners gave him a second chance. Like most sporting events, golf is often used as a metaphor for life. It’s commonly said that while playing, you are competing against yourself, much like in tennis. It’s not the good shots that define the game; it’s the bad ones that push us to improve as we move toward the finish. Isn’t it wonderful that God allows us to have a mulligan when we need one?

Your faithful steward

References

LaPierre, S. (2022). Your Finances God’s Way: A biblical guide to making the best use of your money. Harvest House Publishers.

Munroe, D. M. (2016). In pursuit of purpose. Destiny Image Incorporated.

Holy bible: New International Version. (2017). Zondervan.