What They See

A famous line from “The North Shore” movie comes to mind while I was thinking about the topic for this Living Water and it goes like this, ” I surf pretty good. Yeah, I can tell you are lame by the way you wear your shorts”. Most surfers can look at a crowd of people and spot other surfers. It might be the tan line around the ankle. It could also be the wet suit rash mark on the back or side of someone’s neck. Outside of seeing someone in the lineup, there can be a number of indicators that help us recognize a person from our tribe. 

We don’t typically know if a person is a good surfer or what type of surfboard they ride unless we see them surf or a friend tells us. You see, all of this is also true of people who live their lives for Jesus. There are signs and indicators that let people know that there is something different about us. Life choices, Joy found in tragedy, our love for others, and our love for the unloveable are just a few examples of this being true. The scripture says, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”. Jn 13:35 The truth is that people are always people-watching and trying to size each other up. We all do it….we do it in the lineup, on the street, and even at church.

As Christian Surfers, how we live with others reflects on our witness of who Jesus is in our life. We have been forgiven, so we must forgive. Jesus loved and died for us before we knew we needed Him and we too must love others. Remember with me that the more we look, act, and love like Jesus the less we look like the world. Let the love of Christ drive you deeper into the pocket so people will see and know that you belong to Him. For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again 2 Cor 5:14-15

Image by Pura Vida Church