You Want Domination?

YOU WANT DOMINATION? All you have to do is think about Ken Climo. As much as Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls dominated basketball or the Dallas Cowboys ruled the NFL in the early 1990s, Climo reigned over the professional disc golf world even more.

The Clearwater, Florida, pro won nine consecutive Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA) World Championships from 1990–98. And in 1999 Climo won 14 events and finished second at Worlds.

Never heard of disc golf? Just imagine playing regular ball golf with specially designed Frisbees. Instead of putting a ball into a hole, competitors throw discs into metal baskets lined with chains that “catch” the disc. And unlike traditional golfers who earn millions of dollars and appear on network television every week, professional disc golfers travel the world in virtual anonymity and don’t earn huge sums of money. In 1999, Climo’s best year, he brought home only $22,839 in prize money.

But “the Champ,” as Climo is simply called, doesn’t play disc golf for the money. He throws massive drives, lofts in pretty approach shots, and nails 50-foot putts because he loves the sport.

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POINT Ken Climo’s fierce competitive nature is legendary. Every year the world’s best disc golfers tried to knock Climo from the pinnacle of the sport. But Climo continually worked on his game, made himself mentally tough, and came through with the world title. Climo showed he loved disc golf by practicing every day. He helped disc companies create new discs that improved the sport. And he treated competitors and tournament directors with respect.

As Christians, we all want to show God that we love him. But how can we do that? Reading the Bible every day, treating others as we want to be treated, and sharing our faith in creative ways are all good ideas. And the Bible gives us another: following God’s commands.

GOAL! God shows us that he loves us in so many ways. List some of them.