Skip to main content

Christian Competition

 

Healthy Competition

You know one of the most significant concepts we need to understand is "your worst competitor is you." Why because you don't push yourself as much as you think. You can push yourself, but without some healthy competition, you will fail to get better. You will also miss the mark on reaching your full potential. Think about this statement "individuals perform at a higher level when competing against external opponents than when working alone." (Kyle Eschenroeder). As much as we would like to say everyone wins, the truth is they don't. There is a winner, and the rest are losers. That is not a bad thing.

 

I need Iron

In losing, you see where you could be and who you could be if you drive yourself to a better place. If you never achieve that level of success, you still go farther than you could have ever gone in measuring yourself against yourself. As Christians, we need others. We need our brothers and sisters in Christ to push us. Solomon, the wisest man to live, said, "As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend." (Proverbs 27:17 NKJV).  We need our strong brethren to show us our potential in Christ and coach us to get there. If you try it on your own, you risk missing the fullness of life in Christ. It's not motivation or determination as much as it is healthy competition and desire to be "like them." Even Paul set that challenge out there for our New Testament brethren and intern us.

 

Be An Imitator

Look at what he says, "Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ." (1 Corinthians 11:1 NKJV)  and "Therefore I urge you, imitate me." (1 Corinthians 4:16). Man, what a healthy level of competition that is caused by creating the thought of, "I want to be like Paul" or "I want to be better than Paul." Can you imagine what kind of faith and walk in Christ that would drive you to? Or what about this one, "He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked." (1 John 2:6  NKJV). Wow, now your thoughts are, "I want to be like Christ." In some ways, it could be compared to running like Usain Bolt or playing like Tom Brady. It's a dream that would take a lot of work, effort, dedication, support, and time. Many put in a lot of effort to be just that. Can you imagine if you put in that effort every day, the same effort as a world-class athlete, into being like Christ? What would you become in the Lord? Try it. Healthy competition is not destructive. As Christians, we need that brotherly comradery to help push us to be better than what the man in the mirror believes we can be.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

True Friendship

     When friendship comes to my mind, I think of two relationships in Scripture. They are Jesus and John and David and Jonathan. Jonathan loved David as his soul. 1   John was the one that Jesus loved, and you can see it in the gospel of John. 2 Not because Jesus showed it so much, but by the in-depth writing, John provides you can see how close they were. John was always with Jesus. John was so close to Jesus; he leaned on the chest of Jesus and asked Christ, who would betray him at the last supper. We see the same closeness between Jonathan and David when Jonathan sought to save David, when Saul’s edict to kill David, went out. 3   These two examples are what I believe God wants with us and wants us to desire to have with Him and His body.      The mentioned examples of friendship are the friendship we find deep in the fellowship that John speaks of in 1 John 1:1-10. Godly friendship is a friendship that is not one-sided. It is a bond that is not given up for futile moment
Post a Comment
Read more

A Little Bit of Singing & A Whole Lot of Accompaniment.

 The subject of instruments and clapping in worship is an interesting one. I know this a controversial topic. I’m well aware that as a “Christian” group we do not all agree on the same opinion in the matter. I would like to bring you today not an opinion but fact on this topic. I pray that with an open heart you will read, search the scriptures for yourself and discover what God commands.  Mosaic Covenant When we examine the Mosaic covenant, we see that the music conducted was both in song and with instruments. Special assignments were given by God. This was done by God through His prophets and overseen by King David ( 1 Chron. 25:1-7; 2 Chron. 29:25-30 ).  We must keep in mind that the singers from the tribe of Levi and instruments of music were not merely authorized but that they were commanded. Even in Nehemiah we see the use of instruments. This was done according to the commandment we see in the ordinance for the restored temple services. Nehemiah says that Ezra the scrib
1 comment
Read more

The Unselfish Heart and Liberal Hands

“Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.” Acts 2:44-45 There was an old woman who lived in a home by herself.   She was able and in her right mind.   She would wake up every morning and pray.   She always prayed for everyone, even her grocery list.   She knew everything she had was a blessing from God.   The kicker here is she lived next to a faithless man. He would wake up every morning and hear this old lady pray. After some time he grew indignant with her mindless praying so he said “I’m going to get her good.”   Knowing she always prayed for her groceries he woke up early one morning and jotted her list down as she prayed. He slipped out the door and bought the best of every item.   He neatly placed them in a basket and set them at her front door. He then rang the door bell and ran. Hiding in the bushes he saw her come out and see the basket. The older woman w
2 comments
Read more