Observation: Elijah has been prophesying against Ahab because he and his wife, Jezebel, have encouraged worship of Baal, a Canaanite god, in Israel. Ahab refers to Elijah as "my enemy" because, despite many threats of violence and death, Elijah has not relented from telling Ahab the truth: that continuing to worship a false god will lead to ruin.
Application: Everyone has that one friend. You know who I mean. The one who is blunt, unapologetic, and more than willing to offend and make people uncomfortable if they believe their cause is righteous. That one who litters the stage with dropped mics. That one who has singed the earth with truth bombs. That one who, frankly, you're thinking about hiding from your Facebook feed because honestly? It's a little exhausting to follow them.
We are all wired differently. Ephesians 4 says the Holy Spirit gifts some as teachers and shepherds, some evangelists, some apostles...And some prophets. We're not all the same. Our gifts are different, but they all come from God.
In both the individual, communal, and societal dimensions, we need to remember: prophets are not our enemies. They are using their God-given gifts to make the world a better place. Telling the truth is not an attack. It can and should make us uncomfortable sometimes. And even if we personally are not gifted in that same way, we ignore and devalue prophets at our peril.
Prayer: Move us past the discomfort, God. For those of us who are prophets, give us strength and clarity. For us who are not, give us open ears, minds and hearts. Amen.
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