Servant, Husband, and Father First

As Zach Johnson was being interviewed following his improbable win in the Masters golf tournament the first weekend of April, someone asked him if he knew that his life would be forever changed by his victory. His response was something along the lines of he didn’t think so and was certain his son (who is 14 weeks old) wouldn’t notice. While he might of been remarking on his son’s youth and inability to see that his dad had achieved something remarkable, I think he was saying something much deeper and more important.

Johnson had already mentioned in an earlier interview that he was a Christian and that Jesus had been with him through the round. Obviously, his identity as a Christian is important to him and he is not afraid to say so.

But by making the remark about his son, I believe Johnson was saying something that all of us fathers need to remember: no matter what we may achieve in our respective professions that won’t matter to our wives or our kids as much as how much we love them. No matter what I achieve either personally or professionally, it cannot change the fact that my wife and kids love me. They love me not because of what I can do or have done but because of who I am in Christ.

Men, our tendency is to allow our identities be defined by what we accomplish. My prayer is that we can see that who we are in Christ and as husbands and fathers matters much more than anything we can achieve. That includes winning golf tournaments.