What Sahith Theegala Teaches Us about Choosing Integrity over Success

Whether you follow golf or not, you probably know of Scottie Scheffler, the world No. 1 who just finished one of the greatest seasons in history. I have long admired his steadfast commitment to Christ and to his family as values transcending the game he plays so magnificently. However, you may not know the name Sahith Theegala. He was born in California to Indian immigrants and has become a dominant player on the PGA Tour. However, he made headlines last Saturday not for his talent but for his character.

He was playing a shot from a sand trap when he noticed a small amount of sand move on his backswing. (Touching the sand in this way is a violation of the rules.) No one else saw the sand move, but Theegala immediately notified his playing partner and a rules official. He was assessed a two-stroke penalty, which ended up costing him $2.5 million in prize money.

Now I am a Sahith Theegala fan as well.

Five centuries before Christ, the Greek philosopher Heraclitus observed that “character is destiny.”

If it were easy for us to have greater character, we would do so. Our next steps will, therefore, come at a cost. The higher the mountain, the harder the climb, but the more worthy the destination.

How, then, can we live with sacrificial integrity today?

See Sin as Endangering Everyone We Influence

Paul spoke of “the flaming darts of the evil one” (Ephesians 6:16). In a day when thatched roofs were common, such a dart lodged in your house could easily ignite a fire that would spread to surrounding homes. What started with just you then endangered everyone around you.

I spoke recently with a Christianity Today reporter who is writing an article on the consequences of ministerial moral failure for members of their churches. She is right to be concerned: sin affects the innocent as well as the guilty.

C. S. Lewis warned in Mere Christianity:

When we Christians behave badly, or fail to behave well, we are making Christianity unbelievable to the outside world. The war-time posters told us that Careless Talk Costs Lives. It is equally true that Careless Lives Cost Talk. Our careless lives set the outer world talking; and we give them grounds for talking in a way that throws doubt on the truth of Christianity itself.

I am convinced the clergy abuse scandal and other integrity issues are at the heart of the ongoing cultural shift away from Christianity. When Christians fail to live what we proclaim, why would non-Christians believe what we preach?

See Integrity as Blessing Everyone We Influence

I was drawn to Christ through the character of the Christians I met. I sensed in them a peace, purpose, and joy I lacked and came to faith because I was so impressed with the difference their faith made in their lives.

John Donne famously observed:

No man is an island,
Entire of itself;
Every man is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.
If a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less.
As well as if a promontory were:
As well as if a manor of thy friend’s
Or of thine own were.
Any man’s death diminishes me,
Because I am involved in mankind.
And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls;
It tolls for thee.

Lord Byron was, therefore right:

“Be thou the rainbow in the storms of life.”

As was Oswald Chambers:

The main thing about Christianity is not the work we do, but the relationship we maintain and the atmosphere produced by that relationship. That is all God asks us to look after, and it is the one thing that is being continually assailed (my emphasis).

“Give Us a Love for What You Command”

To manifest the character of Christ to the world, spend time with Christ. Experience His presence in worship; hear his voice in Scripture; make time to be still and know that he is God (Psalm 46:10).

As you do, pray for His Spirit to empower you to choose sacrificial character today. Remember that your integrity shapes for good everyone you influence.

The Anglican Book of Common Prayer includes this supplication I invite you to pray with me:

Give us a love for what you command
and a loving for what you promise,
so that, amid this world’s changes,
our hearts may be set on the world of lasting joy.

Will you choose “the world of lasting joy” today?

*Denison Forum does not necessarily endorse the views expressed in these stories.

Quote for the Day:

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” —Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Published Date: September 3^rd, 2024

Jim Denison, PhD, is a cultural theologian and the founder and CEO of Denison Ministries. Denison Ministries includes DenisonForum.org, First15.org, ChristianParenting.org, and FoundationsWithJanet.org. Jim speaks biblically into significant cultural issues at Denison Forum. He is the chief author of The Daily Article and has written more than 30 books, including The Coming Tsunami, the Biblical Insight to Tough Questions series, and The Fifth Great Awakening.