Mulligan - Do Over!

How many of us in life want a "do over?" Although I am not a golfer, I believe it is called a Mulligan. The definition of a Mulligan in Wikipedia: "it is a stroke that is replayed from the spot of the previous stroke without penalty, due to an errant shot made on the previous stroke. The result is, as the hole is played and scored, as if the first errant shot had never been made."

I love that, "it is as if the first errant shot had never been made." Probably many of us don't think this way but what Adam did in the Garden of Eden, which brought sin into the world. Jesus did a do over, and his life, death and resurrection made as if we had never made the first errant shot or sin in this case.  Not only that, but we keep getting them. When we know Jesus as our Lord and Savior, than God doesn't see our sin, He sees Jesus.

In Hebrews 10:16-17, "“This is the covenant that I will make with them After those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws upon their heart, And on their mind I will write them,” He then says, “And their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”

The parallels to a Mulligan shot and what Jesus did are interesting. When we attempt to keep the law in our own effort, our shot can go into the water or the weeds. We get a do over, we get a better position to try it again in Him.

Wikipedia also says that in strict rules this practice is not allowed and can be disqualified from sanctioned competitions. While I have nothing against the golfing rules, in our lives, this is what the enemy wants to do to us. When we take a bad shot or do something we aren't supposed to do, he wants us to think we are disqualified. Which doesn't leave any room for how God wants to speak into the situation.

Friends, in Jesus, we are never disqualified! The reason for Mulligans were to speed up play, reduce frustration, increase enjoyment and help a player "shake off" a bad shot. Ironically, isn't that what God wants for us? He wants us back into relationship with Him where we are not fretting over the error, get back on track with where He wants to take us, and increase or enjoyment.  He wants to restore joy to our lives.

In a bad spot, call "Mulligan", thank Jesus that He went to the cross for it, ask Him into the next step, and live from joy that you are totally loved, not condemned and He wants to prosper you.

Jeremiah 29:11, ^"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."