Bogey. Birdie. Duffer. Mulligan.

The world of golf is full of funny terminology.

I think the funniest of all is the word par.

I know par is not just a golf term. The definition of par is simply “an equality in value or standing”.

But when you hear the terms above par and below par, your mind travels to golf – especially if you live in Augusta.

When you say something is below par, you typically mean it’s below average. If you tell someone the lunch you had was really below par, you’re basically telling someone not to eat where you did.

This has always been confusing to me. Because in golf it’s the complete opposite.

If you’re a golfer, you strive to be below par. If par is the average for the course, you do everything you can to keep your score below the average.

When something is above par in any other field we celebrate it. If you’re above par in golf, you’re probably going to get cut from the tournament.

What the world deems below par is actually what will make you successful in golf.

Funny. Sounds kind of like following God, doesn’t it?

The Bible tells us that if we humble ourselves, we will be lifted up. Jesus said blessed are those who are poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. The first will be last and the last shall be first, and so on and so forth.

This is the complete opposite of what the world would have us believe. Success in any other facet is measured upon monetary gain.

The world tells us the more you have, the happier you will be. But Jesus tells us less is more. 

If the scoreboard lists you as below par for following Jesus and forsaking the trends, take comfort. For what the rest of the world tells you is above par will actually bring you down.

Do you ever feel the pressure to maintain par in life? How can you buck the trend and start living below par?