Competition
by Brandy Webb
I have heard many times that there is a thing called “healthy competition” between people. Well, I believe the only “healthy competition” is when we compete with ourselves, not with other people. This type of “competition” is when we strive to do better at something than we did before, or when we are going after a goal, or ending a bad habit, etc. Basically, it is when we are competing with ourselves to become a better person than we were the day before. Now, this type of competition is only healthy when we are doing this in love and not in berating ourselves.
The reason that I don’t think there is really such a thing as “healthy competition” between people is because I don’t believe we can compete without having some sense of jealousy/coveting of what the other person has. I also believe that competing with others ends up dividing us. I understand competition in sports, academic competitions, elections, etc. However, I am talking about competitions that are not in any type of game. The type of competitions that occur inwardly, the ones driven by a desire to be “better” at something than someone else is. This type of competition can lead to divisions, strife, jealousies, misunderstandings, greed, selfish ambitions, and other problems. It stops the body from working properly. If we want to be of one accord and of one mind we have to make sure that we do nothing “through rivalry or through conceit, but in humility, each counting others better than himself; each of you not just looking to his own things, but each of you also to the things of others” (Philippians 2:3-4).
What has sparked this thought is the interaction with my children. They mostly get along; however, they sometimes don’t. I noticed that one of the things that can spark a disagreement is when one of them thinks that they are better at something than the other one. They have a tendency to brag about it, and it triggers a type of competition of pointing out each other’s skills they believe they have that the other doesn’t have. This sibling rivalry gets annoying, and I realized how much better it would be if they would actually compliment each other on the skills that each of them have. It would also be great if they actually used their skills to help each other. They have different strengths and different weaknesses, and I am trying to teach them that instead of competing they should use their different strengths to help the other one where they are weak. This, in turn, would strengthen both of them. How great it would be if we all did the same?
See, what I am wanting my children to do is something we all should be diligently doing, using our skills to build each other up, to help one another, and to cohesively work together (1 Thessalonians 5:11; Ephesians 4:29). Just think how strong God’s body can be and will be if each of us ignored the temptation to compete with each other. We all have different strengths and weaknesses, and instead of trying to figure out where we may be “better” than someone else, we should use our strengths to help each other. The truth is, if all of us used our skills to build each other up and for the greater good, we would become unstoppable. Nothing is impossible with God, and we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us (Luke 1:37; Philippians 4:13). Since we have Their Spirit inside us, we can be used by Them to help someone do the impossible. They may use us to strengthen someone else to get through whatever they are going through. I know that God doesn’t need humans to do His work, but I do know from the Bible that He does use humans to do His work. So, I believe he can use us to fulfill the previous scriptures if we let Him by sharing our strengths with each other, but it also requires us to be humble enough to receive help when we are weak.
I know that we are all running a race to the Kingdom of God, yet this isn’t like a normal track meet where we are trying to get first to the finish line. No, this race is one where when someone is weak another fellow runner lifts them up and helps them get to the finish line.
10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. 11 If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen (1 Peter 4:10-11).