Greetings! I come once again in grace and peace with patient and gentle encouragement, education, and correction. Love to you all.
After seeing advertisements online which claim “Be the best _______ “(fill in the blank with your hobby— baker, singer, writer, etc.), and “How to make _______ like a pro” (again, fill in the blank with whatever you want to excel with— bread, a speech, a house, etc.), I’ve been prompted to consider something. Most of what we do in life is competition. We play to win. We’re rewarded anyway when we do not. We compete in/with sports, races, bake-offs, school grades, board games, beauty pageants, the best decorated house, the most handsome family, weight loss, physical activity, the workplace…everything in life, it seems, is a competition. Most things are about being the best. Most things are about winning. No wonder so many people find it hard to be content, because they don’t know how to just be without proving something in competition with others.
Gee, there’s even competition about who can be the best “Christian.” Who wears the most Bible-verse shirts or cross jewelry; who posts the most Scripture or Christiany things on social media; who says the most Christiany things in a conversation; who donates the most money or helps out the most.
I say “we” in this, because I, too, have been there. In the past, I’ve caught myself trying to “one-up” someone with the best biblical advice. Ironic, because my actions were anything but biblical. On the flip side, I’ve had to limit my use of social media and change some daily habits to prevent my heart from becoming bitter towards many who do the same (compete) and who brag. Yes, I have experienced bitterness and inferiority. It’s easy to experience these emotions when you don’t have the perfect home, relationship, body (especially as a woman), job, or _______ (insert pretty much every aspect of life).
But, family, we need to stop! Stop and look at our motives, actions, and responses.
We must learn that we do not have to “be the best” in competition with others, but that we must “be at peace” (Colossians 3:15) in Christ, growing more like Him every moment as we mature in Him through obedience—living in a manner worthy of the Gospel of Christ (Philippians 1:27) and doing nothing out of selfish ambition, but living in humility. In fact, in Paul’s letter to those in Philippi, he instructs them to consider OTHERS MORE SIGNIFICANT and to be “of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind” (2:3). This is in direct contrast to competition!
Unity.
Scripture directs many times to be unified with one another, and our motives should be driven by love—God’s holy, pure righteous, truthful love, not competition or boastfulness.
“May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.”
“Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.”
“I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore it says,
‘When he ascended on high he led a host of captives,
and he gave gifts to men.’
(In saying, ‘He ascended,’ what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.”
“But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’”
“’Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.
‘Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”
With this, we must do our part. We must work to build up other believers, not compete with them. And we must strive to be content in every circumstance (Philippians 4:11). In obedience and growth, we learn to encompass integrity (Ephesians 4:25/ Proverbs 10:9 & 20:7), cultivate a teachable spirit, be just, be merciful, walk humbly in faithfulness (Micah 6:8), have a servant’s heart (Mark 10:45/Galatians 5:13), and practice hospitality (1 Peter 4:9/ Hebrews 13:1-2). As we grow and mature, walking by the Spirit, we will cultivate His fruit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control—Galatians 5:22-23), and we will develop His wisdom (wisdom from above[which] is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere—James 3:17). Finally, our “minds [will be set] on things that are above, not on things that are on earth” (Colossians 3:2).
Yes, we will have to set boundaries in order to nurture and maintain these aspects of our character. There is nothing wrong with limiting or altering our usage of social media or other channels in which we find ourselves in competition, tempted to brag, or provoked to develop feelings of pride, bitterness, or inferiority. One boundary I have set is to use social media as a tool to communicate the Gospel, Scripture, or other biblical correction, education, and encouragement, but not to scroll through mindlessly, interacting with every passion-filled post. I am passionate about certain topics myself, and I have to exercise self-control via the Holy Spirit in order to preserve holiness. Even still, sometimes I overstep my boundaries. I still struggle with that self-control and sometimes act out in haste without prayerful consideration. Yet, I try to use the opportunity to apologize, repent, and continue growing and maturing.
Let us work together, friends, and not act in selfish competition and boastfulness. Let us build up one another, not ourselves, and let us not measure ourselves by any other but Christ.
References:
All Scripture (unless otherwise noted): English Standard Version Bible. 2021. BibleHub.com and English Standard Version Bible. 2016. Crossway