How bad theology hurts Scottie Scheffler - and maybe you, too

Gnosticism at it again

Yesterday, Scottie Scheffler won The Open Championship to further cement his status as far and away the current best golfer in the world.

Today, according to him, he’s over it.

In a press conference ahead of the tournament last week, Scheffler reflected on the experience of winning at the highest level.

“"It feels like you work your whole life to celebrate winning a tournament for like a few minutes. It only lasts a few minutes, that kind of euphoric feeling. This is not a fulfilling life. It's fulfilling from the sense of accomplishment, but it's not fulfilling from a sense of the deepest places of your heart."

He went on to add more perspective by making it a matter of ranked priorities:

"I'm blessed to be able to come out here and play golf, but if my golf ever started affecting my home life or it ever affected the relationship I have with my wife or with my son, that's gonna be the last day that I play out here for a living.

This is not the be-all, end-all. This is not the most important thing in my life. And that's why I wrestle with, 'Why is this so important to me?' Because I would much rather be a great father than I would be a great golfer."

Scheffler was widely praised for his “profound” words on fame, success, and what really matters in life. Some Christian writers hailed his Ecclesiastes-esque look at life’s temporal pleasures.

But was he right?

Did Scheffler, a professing Christian, offer a Biblical view of earthly success?

Yes and no

Here’s what he got right

It is good to keep earthly achievement in perspective. The greatest thrills the world has to offer are not sustainable. The trophies Scheffler has won will someday be broken down by moths and rust, as the Savior told us (Matthew 6:19).

Too many people have scratched and clawed their entire lives to reach some human concept of life’s pinnacle, only to find out it was all vanity. This is exactly what Ecclesiastes teaches: “For what does a man get in all his labor and in his striving with which he labors under the sun? Because all his days his task is painful and grievous; even at night his mind does not rest. This too is vanity” (Ecclesiastes 2:22-23).

Here’s what he got wrong

What Scheffler’s statement missed is the balance that Solomon brings to the equation after finding life’s pleasures can’t fulfill us. When you fear God and keep His commandments (12:13), all of life’s unfulfilling accomplishments don’t remain unfulfilling. Rather, when placed in their proper place, they become a source of joy in themselves.

Unfortunately, Gnosticism never really goes away. It just shows up in subtle ways that sound spiritual, but ultimately undermine God’s plan for human life. Gnosticism views the material world as a stumbling block that stands between us and our true, spiritual selves.

But God did not place us here in physical bodies surrounded by beauty and opportunity and responsibility as some kind of obstacle course to occupy us until we can get to what really matters. Life on earth is not a series of time consuming tasks we have to carry out to keep us busy until we get to heaven.

No, after man’s creation, the world was very good, work and all. This is part of God’s design. But when Christians take an “it’s all gonna burn” view toward this life and the world around us, we end up where Scheffler is—lamenting life’s little joys because they aren’t the ultimate thing.

This brings to mind the famous quote from Chariots of Fire, a movie based on the true story of Olympian and missionary Eric Liddell. While Liddell might not have said these exact words found in the movie, they sum up his outlook well:

“I believe that God made me for a purpose, for China. But He also made me fast, and when I run, I feel His pleasure. To give it up would be to hold Him in contempt. You were right, it’s not just fun. To win is to honor Him.”

This is the real lesson of Ecclesiastes: when lesser things become the ultimate thing, man is unhappy. When the ultimate thing remains the ultimate thing, lesser things can be properly enjoyed as gifts from God.

For Scheffler, this would mean that another victory isn’t just a nice two minute relief from a never-ending cycle of victories and defeats on the golf course. Instead, every win would be a chance to glorify God and bask in His goodness toward us.

Being really good at golf wouldn’t just be a way to pay the bills. It would be a way to enjoy God, glorify Him, and grow closer to Him.

What this means for me and you

You and I probably aren’t in line to win a $10 million prize purse on global television. But that doesn’t mean this story bears no relevance to us.

Because, you and I also live here on earth. We also have jobs, dreams, goals, and responsibilities. If we’re not careful, the Gnosticism can take us in, too.

We can buy the narrative that it is bad for Christians to have ambition, or be competitive, or desire to succeed and achieve. It’s tiring to see Christians so consistently dismiss planning, achieving, and taking dominion in this life as carnally minded. It’s one of the things God designed man to do (see Genesis 1-2).

When you get a promotion, you don’t need to put your head down and declare, “Yeah, but this is nothing compared to the glory waiting for me in heaven.” When your kid comes home with a perfect report card, you don’t need to tell him to be careful because he’ll never be fulfilled by good grades.

Enjoy success! Give thanks to God for the opportunity and ability! Live this life as though every good thing in it is a gift from Him.

I’m not saying Scheffler is a bad guy. I just feel bad that he and so many others have been misled by a Gnostic distortion of life with God. Do your best at “whatever your hand finds to do” (Ecclesiastes 9:10), keep giving glory to God for the wins in life, and thank Him for the way they allow you to know Him and feel His love all the more.

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