I hate to lose. It really gets to me. Especially when you lose to the same team twice by one run. The toughest team in our league who holds an undefeated record. It hurts. I'm too competitive. I start going over the "should ofs" in my mind. We "should of" done this...I "should of" done that. My wife said she wished there was something she could do. She knew something was wrong when I came in the house all quiet. But, I told her just to leave me alone for awhile, so I could get over it. It's not happening. Here I am writing about it. I just need to vent.
Why am I so competitive? Is that the way God originally intended for His people to be? I'm not sure Adam was very competitive. Who was he going to compete with? Eve? I guess he could, but probably not and sleep in the same garden. I don't think that Adam originally had the need or desire to compete. He and Eve originally were in complete harmony with each other, nature, and God. Much changed when they crossed the boundary God had set. Chaos began internally and eventually passed on to the first two human offspring. Cain kills Abel. Why? Was he jealous? Competitive? Maybe.
I'm trying to make this competitiveness I feel fit into my Christianity. Was Christ competitive? I know He was zealous. Does that count?
I'm learning that being competitive isn't necessarily wrong for me as a Christ-follower. But, if I allow that competitiveness to cross the boundary it can become sin for me. I can be competitive for a game as long as I still love people. I can be competitive as long as it doesn't turn into bitterness or revenge-seeking when I lose. It still hurts to lose, but it would hurt even more to lose my integrity and reputation to others around me. Lord, help me.
Duane
1 comment:
Hey I think it's good to have passion and desire but to be quite honest I do not think Jesus was very competitive.
One thing I think is important to work is to conform to God's image not make your own wants fit into Christianity. I know this is brutal and hard to do here is why I think God was not competitive quite like this.
Ecclesiastes 4:4 tells me " Then I observed that most people are motivated to success because they envy their neighbors. But this, too, is meaningless--like chasing the wind."
Proverbs 27:4 tells me " Anger is cruel and fury overwhelming, but who can stand before jealousy?"
Also Job 5:2 says
"Resentment kills a fool, and envy slays the simple."
So this is what I say, let it go, let it roll right off your shoulders, don't you know that the hardest part is over? Take it all there on your stride, love forever, love is free.
Jesus was not competitive in my opinion I highly reccomend you read Isaiah 53 and the latter part of 52 about the Lord's suffering servant.
Isaiah 52 B: He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
This was Jesus he was talking about. Jesus was a very humble man and having the very nature of God in him lowered himself in order to be exalted.
Luke 14:11 For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
Anyways good luck with dealing with Competitiveness and jealousy, I hope you strive and work hard to bring glory to God and his name.
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