I am a golfer. I enjoy the thrill of a “straight down the middle” drive, a good 7 wood second shot off the turf, a crisp chip onto the green followed by a steady putt into the cup.

   Golf is an interesting game. It can be rewarding, frustrating, invigorating, generate defeat and euphoric victory – all in one hole.

   I tell you this because it is a sport that involves skill and correct movements, from the tee box to the putting green.

   I used to just pound at the ball, sometimes hitting it well, and more often than not, topping it or duffing it right or left. Then one Christmas I was gifted with a set of lessons. My game began to solidify as I was shown the correct grip, the proper path of the club, both in the backswing and the forward strike of the ball, and the accepted technique when I putt. My teacher was Rick Musselman, who writes a weekly golf advice column for this newspaper. A few weeks ago, the topic of the print lesson was the “gear effect,” which is an inverse law.

   In golf, you must hit down on the ball to make it go up. It doesn’t sound like it makes sense, but it is true. The angle of the club face is the key; it puts loft on the ball as you strike down on the backside.

   In keeping with this practice, if you slice the ball (it goes left as you hit it), you need to correct your grip and stance. Do not try to hit to the right to compensate.

   This does not work in baseball or tennis; if you hit down, the ball goes down.

   In perspective for the non-athlete, when your car goes into a skid, you should steer in the direction of the skid. Do what is opposite of your logical thinking.

   Now for the tie-in to Christianity: do the opposite of human nature.

   Jesus said, to defeat the human urges, do what we consider the opposite.

   In the lessons from Matthew 5, which we call The Beatitudes, He states that “The meek…shall inherit the earth” (v. 5 ESV). In our human thinking, the most powerful or richest should inherit and rule the earth, controlling via strength, not meekness.

   One Old Testament law stated “an eye for an eye,” but Jesus stressed that we are to take an opposite, passive action and “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer the other also…” (Luke 6:27-29 NASB).

   We are not just to tolerate our enemies. Now that is clearly opposite to how we think. We wonder where He comes up with these ideas. Doesn’t He know what our enemies have done to us? They cheat, take away promotions and jobs, collaborate with those who mean us harm, and cause us physical, emotional, and spiritual pain. Shouldn’t we plan revenge; after all, you know what they say about paybacks. That is not how God works. He so loved us that He sent His Son to die for us. He did this “while we were yet sinners” (Romans 5:8 KJV). He did the opposite of getting back at us.

   Jesus calls us to do the unreasonable (bless our enemies), not the reasonable (ignore our enemies). Jesus calls us to do the improbable (do good to our enemies), not the probable (do nothing for them).

   It is the “gear law.” Do the opposite correctly, and the proper result will occur.

   In life, love everyone – especially your enemies, and the world will spin a little better. In golf, hit down to make the ball go up. Fore.