As Americans, Competition is a cultural value for us; it is a way we measure our success and achievements. Competition impacts many areas of our lives, we use it to evaluate people’s skill set, stamina, perseverance, and fortitude. It is a measure of performance in our society, and we celebrate it in our lives as well as in our favorite people’s lives.
Competition begins in early years with spelling bees and science projects, and it extends to sports and musical performances through the childhood years. Later on, teenagers compete indirectly with thousands of others for a spot in their college of choice. Finally, when children become adults, they have to compete against other candidates for the job they are seeking.
There are some benefits to performance and competition. When a system such as our American system allows opportunities for many, it is necessary to have a set of criteria that allows elimination of some and rewarding the most qualified. However, when performance and competition become a lifestyle and the method by which we evaluate ourselves and others, it’s a slippery slope!
The constant bombardment and evaluation of our activities causes us to rely on competition as a source of identity. If winning makes us feel valuable and worthy, then these attributes have taken over our identity!
What are the potential pitfalls of competition?
1. Competition causes us to be driven and makes us feel that we always need to do better to feel important or worthy.
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:10
The Lord has created everyone one of us for Himself. His pleasure is for us to represent Him well on the earth and to do the work that He has for us. We can glorify God in every activity, but if the activity defines our worth, now we have elevated the activity/competition to a level that God did not intend. Would we be able to hear God if He told us to stop the activity? Is there a drive deep within us that cannot stop?
2. Competition demands comparison.
For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise. 2Corinthians 10:12
We cannot compete without comparing our abilities to others and plan to outperform them. Comparison has at least two bad side effects. We’ll either think we are better than others and feel proud about it. Or we’ll feel that others are better than us and will feel lowly and not good enough. Either position is not what God has intended for us. As Paul beautifully stated, it is not wise to compare ourselves to others. It just leads to carnality and competition and does not produce good fruit.
I will continue with this subject in the next devotional.
