Not Taking Every Wave

We all have that one friend, who for some reason, has the ability to catch every wave they see. You know the one… the one most of us are jealous over because they are getting all the waves that we wanted in the lineup. What’s funny is, this topic came up during our chapter meeting.

What it would look like if we as Christian Surfers, made an effort to serve one another by giving up the best wave of the day for someone else. It wasn’t too long into the conversation that someone shared the story of Brett Davis praying about this very idea. Having been moved by God, to paddle out a whole month without taking a single wave, he did just that. Instead of taking a wave, he would instead give it up and encourage the other person on it. A few verses came to mind as I was thinking about this…. “Philippians 2:3-5 Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had (NLT). I also thought about 1 Peter 4:10, “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms”(NIV). You get the idea.

We as Christians are supposed to have a servant’s heart and through the gifts God has given us, we are to serve one another. If I was being honest, this is easier said than done. Especially, while in the lineup. Jesus encourages us to live a life that is counter-cultural and to do something that isn’t comfortable and for sure not easy to do. We must put others before ourselves in a way that gives glory to Him. This, for some of us, is a humbling step to take but I encourage you to move forward in it. Through the capacity given to each one of us, by God. I know that God gives grace to the humble and resists the proud.

Image by Luke McKeown