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We seem to be running continuously in today's world, as the life gets more busy than ever before, as more and more attention is given to self and the desires or wishes of self. To achieve good standards of living, happiness, pleasures, comforts, to get new car or house, personal gains or to have more money to buy, we plan things and move accordingly. Since everything has a price to be paid, and without going through the struggles involved, we can not gain what we wanted, this very thing brings about the spirit of competition. People tend to compete with one another in almost every area of life. The more ahead they try to become, the more benefits or money or personal gains they seem to achieve. Competition is thought to be a good thing as it encourages progressiveness, the more we compete the better are the results. It is believed to teach us how to manage things with available resources and how to do better planning to achieve our goals, when compared to what others are doing, as to win the competition we are assumed to perform better than others. Goals are set and then people who are trying to attain the goals are asked to compete with one another to reach to the same. Those who compete more and reach to the set targets are appreciated and awarded and those who are left behind are considered as noncompetitive and lacking the knowledge, skill or talents to 'survive' the competition. They face deep sorrow for loosing the competition and are either smiled at or sympathized by others and are usually ignored in the praise of those who win. All this is considered to be a part of the competition, as someone has to win and someone has to lose, this is how it goes, that's why we feel it normal, as all this teach us how to be a gracious winner and a good loser. Those who lose the competition are advised to try performing better, upgrade their skills and talents, as all this brings about improvement of the person in a particular filed or area. However, since there can be only one winner, it is obvious that in any competition, there is a struggle for supremacy regardless of how it is worded in politically correct terms. The dictionary meaning of competition is : The activity or condition of striving to gain or win something by defeating or establishing superiority over others. Competition necessitates that if there is a winner, there is also a loser. A heart focused on supremacy does not care that another’s hopes and dreams are dashed if only self can be the victor. This struggle to be the best, to be No. 1, to be the winner, is the spirit of competition and the spirit of competition is the spirit of war. Competition skews and warps the character into one that wants to dominate over others. The emotions are wrought up to a fevered pitch and the only goal is to win, win, WIN! Regardless of what it costs another. Such grasping for supremacy is, at heart, selfish. Competition promotes the feelings of self-superiority, selfishness and dominance or ignorance over others. The more competitive the person becomes, the more disconnected the same becomes from the society or the surroundings, as self gains more importance over others. One very serious effect competition has on the characters of those who win is the feeling of pride, which is a great unrighteousness in the sight of the Almighty.
Though the LORD be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off. {Psalms 138:6}
A person might think where it all starts? The answer that comes out traces back to the school times. Children are encouraged to study to score good marks, get distinction, work hard, to become an obedient person, although there is nothing wrong with all these, as long as it doesn't create an environment of competition. Even if a child studies for learning, gaining knowledge, to become an obedient, honest and hard working person, the comparison with fellow students causes the spirit of competition to step in. Each and every individual is different, some are good learners, some learn and catch-up with time, some are good in particular subject, some are good at some other extra curricular activities, some are average, some are not good at learning but posses other special abilities, few are good at study, and very few exceptional are good at all the activities. Rainbow always consist of variety of colours, the diversity and variance of each and every individual should be appreciated. When children are forced to learn against their will, memorize and recall what they have learned, when compared to others, the children loose confidence and begin to fear failures or rejection. When a child faces such an environment of competition, he or she can not do anything but to keep silent and try to please their parents and mentors or teachers as they will. There seem to be a large emotional and understanding gap between the child and his or her parents and teachers, as if no wants to understand the child, but are concerned with the score cards only. Children face a great pressure of competition to score high, be ahead, get distinction, be a favourite student of the teachers, as these children earn good name to their parents, whom they can feel proud of. All these appear very usual and normal, as only such students make a good carrier, only those who develop the tendency to win, to succeed, irrespective of the cost, get ahead in the society and the world. Whereas, going through all this causes the child to grow as a self-centered person. Children should not be burdened with the pressure to excel in their studies, and should be encouraged to develop as a person, as they should grow as good humans and not become machines.
Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. {Proverbs 22:6}
The spirit of competition places a person ahead of another person or lagging behind. It does not matter if there are two persons or a group of people, as soon as the spirit of competition steps in, each and every individual will automatically get score or position to distinguish the individual from the rest of the persons, and the same situation is faced by every single person of the group. To get over the uncomfortable feeling of loneliness or to settle down the pressure and tensions arising, people start to share and find out how much better they are when compared to the group. Since, not all can be the same or not all can be at one position, no matter how much efficient the group is, there happens to be a few who are lagging behind. The reasons for those who lag behind might be any and genuine, the remaining group still has figured out someone whom they can gossip about. The situation may be faced by school children, college students or working professionals, but the results in all the situations remain the same, the loss of confidence, feeling of loneliness and emotional disturbance in the those who lag behind. It becomes very difficult for a person to cope up with such situations and environments, considering that the person will not be heard and on the contrary, he or she will be pointed out for lagging behind and asked for explanations. Each and every individual has an important role to play in the group, no matter how least important the task may appear, an aeroplane is of no use if it missing tyres or wings. We like to talk about things, situations, performances, behaviours etc. in any group, but we should be careful enough not to drag the discussion towards a direction where someone is blamed for not performing as expected, instead we can focus on the things which go well and how improvement can be brought about. Blaming a few or a particular person brings down the moral of the group and creates an environment of insecurity for every person, since the next time, they might also face the same situations. In other words, when in a group, we should focus on achieving the goal as a group with individual efforts, but should not allow the competitiveness to take hold of the efforts.
Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another. {Galatians 5:26}
When working in a competitive environment, there are times of struggles and pressures to perform well when compared to others. The reasons might be any as to achieve the set targets in a defined span of time, to maintain a defined reputation, to get good money, increments or bonuses etc. All these put a strain on the person, and when there seems to be some non-performance resulting in a time gap or non-achieving of targets, there arise disappointments. The achievements in competitive environments appear to be short lived and non-memorable, but the disappointments appear to have far reaching consequences and are non-forgettable. Competition always creates two pathways, the one of success and the other of failure. If a person is competing and not on the path of success, then by default, the person is assumed to have been on the other path. There is no other way of all good or average, either we are successful in competing or we are not. Those who succeed then start a new race of competition and those who are not face disappointments and a broken will to start competing again. The results are not good in both the cases, as those who succeed find themselves in an endless race of competition and those who lose find themselves not good enough to work in competitive environments, and this might lead them to depression. Those who lose might get angry at disappointments and form an image in their mind that only the selfish persons, who take the opportunities are successful and enjoy the benefits of any competition. This could make a lasting impression in their mind and might lead them to selfishness in order to succeed. All these are a part of the dangers involved in a competitive work environment. This way, the organization will be at risk, since the talented workforce who wants to be ahead in competition will look for better opportunities and assignments and will always look to leave when the same are available and those who are lagging behind might not be working willingly to put their best efforts, knowing that other competitive and talented persons will be favoured when compared to what they have done. Thus we should encourage a work environment where the talents and efforts of each and every individual are respected, and are allocated suitable tasks accordingly to make the work accomplished.
Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.{Philippians 2:3}
Similarly, competitive sports should also be avoided. Since there can be only one winner, it is obvious that in any competitive sport, there is a struggle for supremacy regardless of how it is worded in politically correct terms. To be any good at sports, it takes commitment, dedication and healthful living – all of which are very good and desirable things. Parents often get their children involved with sports in an attempt to teach 'good sportsmanship', but as in any competitive sport, only one person or team can win, there is always a struggle to win, even if the sports event is organized in a 'friendly' way. Even if one refrains from 'praying' or keeping a desire for victory, the participation in, or even observation of any activity that brings out competitiveness is an attack on the mind of all who would gain eternal life. The excuses given for participating in competitive sports and watching professional games are as many and varied as the sports themselves. The fact remains, however, that such participation encourages and develops a spirit that is self-centered and demanding victory or superiority over others. As in any other competition, any competitive sport will automatically discriminate the winner from the loser, even if the participants happen to be good friends, the competitiveness of the sports to win will incorporate a sense of superiority or inferiority in those involved. This does not mean that a person cannot enjoy swimming, skiing, skating, riding or anything else that provides exercise and encourages increasing skill, exercise is necessary to remain healthy. The bottom line is to avoid the sports which necessitates competition.
Competition in any of its many forms should be avoided at all costs because it arouses emotions that diminish the value of others in the mind. Competition moulds an individual and develops a character that is not fit for companionship among the angels of light in heaven. The most excellent and the only true teacher who ever lived on earth told his disciples how to work and serve for the good of others, as recorded in the scriptures.
And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all. {Mark 9:35}
Yahushua knew about the competition and it's effects, and clearly stated that to be the first of all, a person should serve all. This is a very remarkable truth requiring attention, as the disciples wanted to be ahead of the remaining and wanted to become number one, as the competition stepped in their hearts to be superior over others in the eyes of Yahushua. This is why the Saviour explained them it is not about being superior over others, as all are equally important in His eyes. In explaining the same, in no way did he tell to do the reverse with the desire to become number one, as this way, the competition and the desire to remain superior, by serving all and be the least of all, still remains. He made it clear that to compete with others and to become superior over others is not acceptable in the sight of the Almighty.
Not only so, Yahushua washed the feet of his disciples to give an example. In those days, till the time of Yahushua, the disciples used to wash the feet of their masters, but Yahushua washed the feet of his disciples to prove that there was no discrimination among the disciples, all were equal and need not compete against each other over superiority, but serve each other with humility.
So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you? Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. {John 13:12-15}
Competition never ends, but life does. A person might consider, what should we do in the world which runs on competition only? Should we quit studying, working etc.? Not exactly, but we can try our best to keep at distance and avoid the competition as far as possible and do our duties as required by the tasks. After doing all the tasks as our duties, we can safely say that we have done that which was our duty to do, there is nothing to boast about or to feel sad about, as commanded by Yahushua in the below verse.
So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do. {Luke 17:10}
Remember, our duty done in an honest way might help and serve someone in need, directly or indirectly. This way a person will be satisfied with whatever educational qualifications, talents or abilities or rewards, he or she has earned and will observe a peace of mind. The person will develop a respect for his or her duties and the talents, efforts or co-operation of the colleagues.
In the final summation, only one thing really counts. Not your job, your schooling, your athletic ability, your house or car – not even your reputation. The only thing that counts is the character, the thoughts or understanding a person has developed throughout the time on earth.
Character is the one and only thing a person takes to Heaven. Probationary time has graciously been granted everyone on earth to form characters that are in harmony with the divine law. Those who have surrendered their wills to the Almighty and allowed Him to form their thoughts and feelings will have characters that will be welcomed into Heaven. They will be at home in Heaven because they have Heaven formed in their hearts.
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