There's No Room for Competition in the Community of Faith

There's no room for competition in the community of faith. I know "competitive-type" elders, pastor's and church leaders like to rationalize the positive contributions it can make within a faith community, but our leader has already weighed in on the matter. His disciples were holding their own little competition about who among them would be the greatest:

They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, "What were you arguing about on the road?" But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest. Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, "If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all."

He took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them, "Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me."

The world offers enough competition. College athletics, the NFL, NBA, MLB and the PGA Tour can more than meet the competition quotient in each of us. Not to mention all the competitive posturing and positioning that occurs on the job and in the marketplace for sales, market position, promotions, business acquisition and mergers, etc. Perhaps the greatest example of competition is gambling. I was speechless many years ago as my son and I observed two men on the adjacent teebox at our little community golf course. They were trying to out-drive each other on the golf hole and one of the guys had put his brand new Big Bertha driver on the line for the longest drive. At the time that driver cost more than all the clubs in my bag! The guy lost and exploded with language that would make the film rating board blush. He was beside himself. What a great visual lesson for my son. I remember thinking to myself, "That guy has just spoiled a beautiful walk with a friend." My son and I continued our's.

For those who never seem to be satisfied with enough competition might I suggest a session with a good therapist. Follow competitive streaks long enough and you'll eventually find deep-seeded anger, serious control, or insecurity issues.

Competition by itself is not dangerous. In many settings it can be healthy. But a little of it can go a long way. Like fathers who "have to" beat their young sons in driveway basketball or on the golf course because it's the only way to "teach them" to learn how to really play. That's the biggest load of malarky to justify an adult driven competitive streak I've ever heard. Trust me, our children will have a lifetime to learn, appreciate and experience competition. I'm with the author of the best-seller, Life's Little Instruction Booklet: "When playing with children always let them win." Perhaps this is why Upward Basketball has become so popular. I like their approach where, "Everyone is a winner!"

Which really gets to the heart of church competitions. There's too much of it. And much of it originates with pastors. How God must ache over our positioning, posturing and inability to build up other churches and leaders, and our not-so subtle attempts at humor or gossip at the expense of other churches or ministries. Life is too short, the Kingdom too near, the culture too dark for Christ-followers to engage in reputational or statistical competition. God needs all of us and we need each other.

What would happen if we were cheerleaders for other churches and leaders in our community? I dare say the community reaction would be as shocking as when the Macy's Santa Claus directed shoppers to Gimball's in the classic Christmas movie, Miracle on 34th Street. So what do you say brothers and sister's in Christ? Let's shock the world by building each other up, exalting our Savior and building "His" church!