"Jesus realized that the Pharisees were keeping count of the baptisms that He and John performed (although His disciples, not Jesus, did the actual baptizing). They had posted the score that Jesus was ahead, turning hHm and John into rivals in the eyes of the people. So Jesus left the Judean countryside and went back to Galilee." -John 4:1 MSG
Is competition biblical? In a hurried world where results produce promotion and accolade, it is so easy to get our eyes off where our central focus should be: Jesus. Yes it is right to work diligently and wholeheartedly (Prov 12:27), yes it is good to excel and be faithful (Luke 19:17) - but is it okay to be competitive?
In the Bible there is no mention of the word “competition”, but we can gather from Jesus’ example that He competed with no one. The moment it was suggested that someone was keeping score, Jesus left the playing field entirely.
I remember being a kid in elementary school being put up to the challenge of who could complete the Hooked on Phonics book first. I was definitely up for it, (English was my strong suit), so I worked hard to get the book done before anybody else. It was down to me and the last guy, and I remember staying up late one night to finish it. I was excited to bring that phonics book in complete that day and win the contest. But even though I won, the truth is, it didn’t add anything to my value.
Having a challenge or contest is not wrong, and neither is sports. But when we begin to operate in striving, our worth becomes tied to our performance - and we can miss God’s love completely. Everything we receive comes from Him, not through our own human efforts. (2 Cor 3:5) We have to be careful to check our motives and listen to His heart for us and on behalf of others.
Is there anything you may need to adjust in your life to help you keep a right focus? We don’t need to be bound to performance - instead, we need a greater revelation of God’s love for us, being led by His Spirit, and trust in Him that He will provide for all of our needs.
"When the LORD began to speak through Hosea, the LORD said to him, 'Go, take to yourself an adulterous wife and children of unfaithfulness, because the land is guilty of the vilest adultery in departing from the LORD.' So he married Gomer daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son." -Hosea 1:2-3
Sometimes, people disappoint us. Sometimes, things don't work out as we want them to. Sometimes, in the midst of our circumstances we are faced with a choice: Giving people a dose of what they may deserve, or remaining faithful and full of hope despite other people's choices. This is invariably difficult. Nonetheless, it is something our Savior taught us to do through his example.
What does this look like in our lives? We may never deal with something as severe as an unfaithful partner in a marriage, but we may. We might encounter let downs in life that leave us feeling like we should let life down as well. But this never produces a good outcome for us. God promises that He is faithful to us. Will we in turn be faithful to Him? "God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful" (1 Corinthians 1:9.)
Being faithful means that when our friends let us down, we don't return the favor. We can let them know how it makes us feel, but then we can let it go and be done with it. Being faithful means finishing work projects on time and diligently. Being faithful means moving toward what we feel God calling us to. Being faithful means we have the right priorities - we love God first and love others as we love ourselves. It means we are faithful to God and not our idols. Jesus is faithful to love a bride that often refuses to love Him back. He said and models, "I will never leave you or forsake you."
We are living in a time where unfaithfulness runs rampant. Are we going to be the counter-effect, as Hosea was? Are we going to be the difference people need to see? Are we going to reflect the Christ that is always faithful? However difficult, I pray that we will be. And in turn, Christ's glory through us will be able to shine.
Will God find you faithful in spite of unfaithfulness?
"If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you." -John 15:7
Do
you ever just feel like you want to "get there?” Are you always
feeling tension between where you are now and where you feel called to
be? I am reminded of a Switchfoot song, "This is Your Life", whose
lyrics reflected, "This is your life, are you who you want to be? This is
your life, is it everything you dreamed that it would be?" It's true
that we never "arrive" in our Christian walk - we are always maturing
and progressing, until the day we leave this earth.
While it may be true we're not quite where we want to be, we can
still find contentment in our lives here and now. The world is always
progressing, always wanting more and more, never satisfied. But as
Christians, we have the answer for contentment in the arms of Jesus: "Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with
whatever I have." (Phil 4:11) "Yet true godliness with contentment is
itself great wealth." (1 Tim 6:6)
How can we learn to be content? First, we can be thankful for what
we have. Even people on the lower end of income in America have quite a
lot compared to the world's wealth, and also compared with any other
time in history. Second, we can learn to be faithful. "Whoever can be
trusted with very little can also be trusted with much" -Luke 16:10.
Third and most important, we can learn to "abide" in God. That is, we
can experience God's presence most or all of the time, by worshipping,
getting into the word, and having a "posture" of prayer. Once we are plugged
into the source, we lack no good thing. (Ps 84:11)
Are you abiding in God today? Let God's arms surround you as you go
through life. Life is much better when we're abiding in Him.
