How to LOVE Your ENEMY.Sýnishorn

Seat Yourself At The Bottom Of The Table

It was another glorious Jeffreys Bay winter and Supertubes was firing!

Like a man at a buffet, perhaps I was getting a bit more than my fair share. But I’m a local, I thought. And locals deserve more than pilgrims. Right?

I swung around to paddle… and, out of nowhere, a guy snaked me. The wave lipped us both and booked us a trip over the falls. I surfaced, ready to give this tourist a piece of my mind – what a totally irresponsible and dangerous thing to do!

Only, I quickly realised that the man I had shoved out the way was the most aggressive local in town. Oh Lord, of all the people I could’ve enjoyed a run-in with, why him?

And in that moment God said to me in a still, small voice, “Remember, love your enemy”.

That’s what this plan is all about: the upside-down, love-your-enemy way of Jesus… and how it can change not just your heart, but your enemies’ hearts, too. So let’s dive in!

Human hierarchies and finding where you fit in.
Humans organise themselves into hierarchies. And we’ve been doing this for a long time. Not to get overly historical but evidence suggests human hierarchies have existed since the advent of agriculture and the establishment of communities.

Surfing is no different. Every time you enter the line-up, you’ll find social hierarchies at play. Locals at the top of the point, catching the majority of the waves, and the plebs further down the line, hustling for scraps.

Jesus had something poignant to say about social hierarchies. He commanded His followers to seat themselves in the lowest position (Luke 14:7).

Wait, what? The lowest position?

Our temptation when surfing is to occupy the top spot. Take the best waves with limited regard for the travelling surfer passing through. This is especially true when you live in a town that boasts a world-class wave.

But having humility – seating yourself lower down the pecking order – is placing faith in your Creator. Such an action says, “Lord, I leave my wave count in your hands. You move me up the ladder if and when you see fit”.

And the promise for your humility, for placing yourself in God’s hands, is that you will be exalted (Luke 14:11).

Reflect:

Take a moment to reflect on your attitudes to the hierarchies in your life: in the line-up, in schools, at the office, at home. Are you striving to push yourself to the top spot? Or are you putting your faith in your Creator to place you where He wants you to be?

Pray:

Lord, give me a spirit of humility today; help me see that my security and identity comes from You, not from others’ opinions or my own efforts. Thank-you that You can place me just where You want me to be.