The name Darren Clarke may not mean very much to you. Or Rory Mcllroy or even Graeme McDowell for that matter. Just unusual Irish names. But that couldn’t be any further from the truth.
Three names. Three professional golfers. Oh …and all three hail from Northern Ireland. I am from Northern Ireland and our history has been pretty colourful. There has been a lot to be ashamed about but there has also been a lot to be proud of. But success stories have been few and far between throughout our history.
Which is where Darren, Rory and Graeme come in. Literally just a few hours ago Darren Clarke won the British Golf Open championship. He is from Northern Ireland. A pretty amazing achievement. The last time someone from Northern Ireland won was over 60 years ago. A pretty amazing acheivement, except that just over a month ago Rory Mcllroy won the U.S. open. Rory is also from Northern Ireland. Another pretty amazing result. Except… that the year before, Graeme McDowell won the same trophy. Can you guess where he is from? Yeah that’s right. Northern Ireland. Now it’s just getting ridiculous.
A country of only 1.6 million people have won three of the biggest recent majors trophies in golf. To put that in perspective that is like the last three major golf winners all coming from Idaho.
That’s massive. It’s a real success story. Nobody would have predicted that last year. It’s almost unbelievable. It shouldn’t have happened.
But it did.
Three guys who overcame the odds and amazed the world. Which is pretty impressive but it’s not as impressive as another three guys who ended up doing the unbelievable.
They are of course Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. (What do you mean you have never heard of them?)
If you don’t know their story they were mates of Daniel. Daniel was a pretty big name in Babylonia and his friends were able to enjoy the fun too. Until they refused to bow down to the Babylonian god that is and were thrown into a fiery furnace. Now three golfers from a tiny country all winning major golf trophies is pretty impressive but being thrown into a fire and coming out of it untouched is something else. But that’s what happened. God protected them and people couldn’t believe their eyes.
The unbelievable becoming the believable.
The impossible becoming possible.
Great things happen to famous people or sports stars or the cool kids. But they don’t happen to golfers from a small island, or three extraordinarily normal guys who are following their mate around.
Or to people addicted to porn.
At least they’re not supposed to.
But they do.
Is that how you feel with lust? Do you feel that you are trying to give up your addiction but you always end up back where you started? Do you feel that you don’t have the ability to get past your temptation? Do you feel that your are just not supposed to be free?
The Bible is full of stories about unremarkable people achieving remarkable things. It’s about fishermen walking on water. About a tiny country of people being liberated from being slaves to becoming God’s chosen country. About small armies defeating armies many times their size. About a man who couldn’t speak, leading a nation. About a man who as a boy killed a giant, then went on to murder his friends and sleep with prostitutes…and was still used by God.
If you don’t think you can be free from porn then you are in great company.
You are a part of a story that is full of people who shouldn’t have been successful. People who were weak and sinful and insignificant being used by a God who sees otherwise.
Most of the time we see challenges and sin as being so enormous and scary. But God sees them as opportunities to show us His love.
And God is ready to show you His love.
Maybe you don’t think you can be who you want to be. But with God’s help you can.
Maybe you don’t think you can be free from porn. But with God’s help you can.
If you don’t then just ask David or Peter or Moses, or Darren, Rory and Graeme if the impossible is possible?
God uses people like you. God uses sinners like you.
Because making the impossible possible, is what He’s famous for.