The game of golf is perhaps the perfect game for a man of most any age to play.  The leisurely nature of this sport lends itself to fun recreation surrounded by God’s beautiful creation (Exo. 20:11) away from the stress of work and the daily grind.  The selection of clubs involves problem solving and critical thinking, skills which men generally see themselves as possessing.  Trips to the driving range and rounds with friends often raise the masculine-driven question, “How far did it fly?”  This is not to say that women do not enjoy or excel in the game, but golf has traditionally been a man’s game.

Recently an SUV in front of my car displayed a bumper sticker that stated, “Golf Widow.”  What a sad commentary on that home and on our society!  Here is a young lady that walked down the aisle fully expecting to be had and held by her prince.  The honeymoon and following months were doubtlessly splendid, but as the months slowly turned to years for this young bride and groom, the late hours at work became more frequent, and his need for recreation (which is in a very real sense a need that should be met by a man’s wife) on the weekend increased.  Perhaps golf lessons and visiting the range took him from her on the weeknights when he did not have to work late.  The Saturday morning tee times replaced breakfast with her, leaving her alone with a house full of chores.  As this continued, she desperate for attention from him purchased a tote bag with a matching bumper sticker with the inscription, “Golf Widow.”  To this woman, it feels like her husband does not exist.  Sure, he pays the bills; sure, they live in a beautiful house; sure, they drive nice cars–but to this woman, she feels unloved and as if her husband is six feet under, because golf is the most important thing in this man’s life.  Google “Golf Widow,” and you will find that this is not an isolated incident but a growing online culture.

Golf as a recreational activity is wholesome, but anything taken to an extreme can become sinful.  Certainly, anything that hinders one from his duty as a Christian or in this case as a husband ought to be considered as in the forbidden category.  One who fails to provide for his own house is worse than an infidel (1 Tim. 5:8).  Husbands have an avowed, sacred duty to love their wives (Eph. 5:25).  The model for this love is Christ’s love that he demonstrated for the church, in giving His precious life for her (Acts 20:28), in guiding her (Eph. 5:23), and in furnishing her with all that she needs (Eph. 5:28, 29).  She needs his time, his ear, his affection, and his help.  A simple way that he can start doing this is by realizing that a kitchen should be an equal opportunity establishment.  These needs cannot be met if he is constantly going fishing or golfing, unless they go together then that becomes a winning combination: he gets to play with her, and she has time with him.

This bumper sticker also reflects poorly on our country.  Our American society has been entertained to death.  We race from baseball practice to soccer tryouts.  Some campout in order to see a movie at 12:01 AM.  Others will do the same to buy some expensive gizmo or toy for themselves.   A couple of generations of children have been reared by video games and not parents.  Honestly, there is not a bad month of sporting events to watch on television.  Some complain about February, but it falls right in the middle of the college basketball season.  As my mother told my brothers and me on more than one occasion, “There will always be another game.”  The entertainment craze has gone so far that when one leaves his car outfitted with XM Radio, DVD player, and who knows what else, he does not need to worry about missing part of the game he was listening to on the road, because the gas station has an HDTV tuned to ESPN right at the pump for your convenience.

In a way, my mom was right.  There have been games since she told that to us and there will be games tonight.  So, if there is always another “big” game, a “must see” movie, or a “once in a lifetime” concert, when will, we, as members of the Lord’s church, finally get down to the business of fulfilling the Great Commission of our Lord Jesus Christ?  The entertainment may even be wholesome entertainment, but have you, dear reader, ever considered that in your pursuit for wholesome entertainment, Satan could be distracting and hindering you from doing the Lord’s work, seeking and saving the lost (Lk. 19:10).  Entertainment is a distraction.  Sometimes we need distractions (Mk. 6:31).  However, oftentimes they prevent us from fulfilling our responsibilities.

All we are doing on this earth is filling time.  We are born to die.  How are using that time (Eph. 5:16)?  Are we cherishing it with our family or are we sitting on the edge of our recliner anticipating who will be America’s next American Idol?  If we turned off our televisions for one week, would our work in the kingdom of God increase?  Would more Bibles be read during that week?  Would the home be more peaceful?  It would make for an interesting experiment, don’t you think?

In another sense, my mother was wrong (I didn’t tell her at the time).  At some point, games will cease.  “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat ” (2 Peter 3:10–12)?  Therefore, while we are still on time’s side of eternity, let us fulfill are our duties, both in the home and in the kingdom of the Lord.  “So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do” (Lk. 17:10).