Suddenly, you feel the need to one-up this story, this moment, her accomplishment, possessions, popularity, or friends. It is simply astounding how quickly we, as regenerated believers, get jealous of one another. Whether the people who like to talk about themselves realize their fault or not, it's simply no excuse to feel competitive.
Paul's metaphor of the Christian life being a race has made us think that we are racing AGAINST each other rather than FOR Christ. (1 Cor. 9; Heb 12)
There is no love when we feel that we need to be better than our brother or sister. When I see this attitude of jealousy within my own heart I can almost picture "biting and devouring" (Galations 5:15- style) my sweet friend. I've essentially judged her.
Let me explain. If we are not looking at Christ and instead focusing on our peers for acceptance, we are using each other as tape measures. While this cliche' metaphor usually means that we use others to judge ourselves, I think it can go both ways. We, therefore, measure others/ourselves to judge others. A completely wrong way to understand godliness.
Both sides need to repent...
My purpose then is to ask two questions:
- Are you tempting others to be jealous, competitive Christians by being boastful or selfish about your life?
- Are you tempted by others to be a jealous, competitive Christian when they are being boastful or selfish about their lives?
This is a great post and I appreciate you writing it kate! Was just reading Ecclesiastes or proverbs the other day and it was saying how vain it is that everything great someone does is out of rivalry or jealousy because of another. I think competition is sometimes how America's economy thrives though - do you think there is ever a case where competition is good? Or would you say whenever you are competing out of jealousy its definitely a sin but there are times you could compete for the right reasons?
ReplyDeleteThis is so true and so good! I was just thinking the other day how we can even become judgmental about not being competitive.(this is something I struggle with alot) Like "oh good thing I'm not competitive like that friend over there." But then this becomes way worse than the actual competing(which still isn't good) Thanks for this applicable and convicting blog post!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the encouragement. I think competing carries the idea that someone will come out the "loser." There is an ingrained hierarchy within competing, top dog/ under dog. This attitude, that in order to win someone must lose, flows along the natural stream of human thought.
ReplyDeleteBUT Christ flips this by saying that whoever wishes to be greater needs to be the servant of all. (Mark 9:35) We need to adopt a mindset of honoring and loving Christ and thereby love others. My answer would be that competing at the sacrifice of servant/slave status is wrong. In other words, so long as the competition doesn't prevent our walk/ or other's walk with Christ...yes, I believe that could be right.