Newsflash: Tiger Has C4
If you were alive during the month of June, you surely were aware of the United States Open Golf Championship sponsored by the United States Golf Association (USGA). This is an annual event that is open to the best golfers in the world. Due to its rigorous qualifying process, the tournament is revered worldwide.
Many people consider the US Open to be the premier event of the USGA. And this year’s event was perhaps one of the most dramatic in the USGA’s 108-year history. What made it so special was not so much the course or the field of players or the scenery, but one player—the ultimate winner, Tiger Woods.
Before the US Open, which was played during the week proceding Father’s Day, Tiger's last competitive event was the Masters in early April. Shortly after the Masters, Tiger had knee surgery, which is why he did not play any events between the Masters and the US Open. He went two months without playing competitive golf and when he showed up for the US Open his knee was not fully healed.
Given Tiger’s physical condition, most players would not have attempted to play. Nevertheless, Tiger not only played in the tournament, but also amazingly won it.
Adulations from the news reporters and commentators, many of whom are professional golfers, were unending. Frequently during the course of the tournament, Tiger winced in pain after hitting a shot. There were times when he noticeably limped. When reporters asked if he had ever considered dropping out of the tournament, Tiger’s comment was simply, “Never.”
What is it that drove this man to endure such pain to win a golf championship? I believe Tiger displayed that he has C4 to be a professional golfer.
C4 is a biblical principle that I write about frequently (see chapter five in my book Beyond Babel). It is the biblical principle for qualifying a person to do a particular work assignment — any work assignment. C4 stands for calling, character, capability, and commissioning. Calling is the divinely ordained passion in your heart. Character is the measure of alignment of your philosophy, values, and principles with God. Capability is the development of your God-given skills and ability. And commissioning is the affirmation and context established by authority figures that releases you to your life purpose.
Tiger displayed C4 at the US Open, which is why he is so excellent at what he does. Let’s do a quick C4 analysis on Tiger.
Calling: To find your calling, you must look deep inside yourself—look past your fleshly desires to the core of your being. Why did God make you and put you on planet Earth? One of the key indicators is genuine passion, not simply urges or wants or wishes, but deep sustaining passion. This passion becomes the driver in your spirit to do whatever you have to do to succeed in what you have been called to do. Clearly, Tiger has a deep passion to be the best professional golfer ever.
Character: While growing up I played competitive golf. As with many of my peers, I wanted to be a professional golfer. It looked like an easy life—play golf during the day and have fun at night. Golf professionals of that era were not serious athletes. Other than perhaps Gary Player, they didn’t work out, watch their diets, or control their weight.
Tiger is arguably one of the first golfers to approach the game as an athlete. He works out, eats right, and controls his weight. He looks like an athlete and performs accordingly. To sacrifice momentary pleasures for the long-term goal of being the best reflects outstanding character. Operative in him are very high values of excellence, hard work, discipline, commitment, focus, and self-sacrifice. He displays mental, emotional, and physical toughness. No matter what obstacle he faces, he does not stop but overcomes. He never rests on his laurels but is always seeking to improve. This intense commitment to his calling is a major reason for his level of excellence.
Capability: Golf is a game of eye-hand coordination and overall body control. Clearly, Tiger has incredible physical gifting and has submitted to a rigorous lifelong training process to realize his potential. Because of his physical conditioning and passion to perform at a high level, he is able to turn his tremendous God-given potential into reality.
Commissioning: No one can perform at a high level by himself. Everyone needs support, encouragement, guidance, and affirmation. Tiger received this primarily from his father. From his earliest days, Tiger was trained by his father to be a professional golfer. Tiger submitted to this training and received his father's commissioning to his profession. Along the way, Tiger submitted (and continues to submit) to various coaches and advisors who contributed to his development and also served as commissioning agents. These authority figures in his life helped to draw out his God-given potential.
Tiger clearly has C4—the divinely ordained principle to help each of us find our life purpose. In other words, Tiger is doing what God created him to do, which is why he is so successful.
Since God created the universe, He makes the rules for all the activities of the universe. Therefore success in God’s universe is proportional to our alignment with His rules. When anyone finds their C4 vocation and fulfills it using God’s principles, he or she will achieve excellence.
One of God’s great blessings is the principle of common grace. Common grace is the ability of all humans, regardless of their relationship with God, to enjoy blessings when they obey God’s principles.
Tiger Woods is the world’s greatest golfer because he has, wittingly or unwittingly, submitted to God’s principles. Specifically he displays that he has C4 to be a world-class professional golfer.
No matter your vocation in life, if you want to be world-class, you must follow God’s principles. In particular, you must have C4 to do that assignment. Tiger Woods is a wonderful picture of a person who has C4 for his assignment. The results speak for themselves. Worldwide he is venerated for his accomplishments and recognized for his excellence.
I don’t know Tiger’s spiritual condition, but if he is not a Christian, there is even more potential in him—potential beyond that which he has experienced by virtue of common grace. That is, the potential to walk in his vocation based on a full revelation of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit. Where would this take Tiger, if he lived this way?
If Tiger Woods is not the model for this reality, perhaps someone else will be—maybe you. The key is simple: embrace Christ and the gift of the Holy Spirit as operating realities in your life and find your C4 assignment. Then do that assignment with all that is in you and watch others’ amazement as you display world-class excellence in your vocation.
