Healthy Competition

 

I love well-made things, especially when they are doing what they were designed to do. Don’t you? Picture a balanced, razor-sharp chef’s knife cutting slices of tomato; a lifted off-road vehicle crawling through a boulder field; a fine musical instrument, like a guitar, resonating with all the right harmonics, effortlessly filling the world with beautiful music.

It would be rewarding to spend hours watching videos of well-designed things, doing what they were made to do—I’ve done that! The bible says the most amazing thing ever devised is—you, the human being. In the creation account in Genesis, God makes man in his image to rule over the rest of the world. When he finished making us, he said that we were very good.
Unfortunately, humanity – this stunning pinnacle of design perfection – broke. Sin, failure, and death entered our race. We started acting like dull knives, SUVs with broken axles and flat tires, warped and cracked guitars that were missing strings, and the strings we had were out of tune. Those things hurt my heart! Seeing brokenness in action is like a watching someone working super hard with a vacuum that’s just making a lot of noise and spreading around the dirt and rocks. It hurts me.

The best news in the world's history is that God paid the price to repair every human who comes to him. After we’re saved, we can return to doing what God fashioned us to do. While we won’t be perfect again until he comes back, we can perform the amazing things that only humans can do, because God made us in his image and likeness. 
So what were you, a real Christian, designed and recreated to do? Paul lists a bunch of these actions in Romans 12. It is beautiful to watch and experience people doing these activities and having these attitudes. Doing these doesn’t save us or fix us, but they sure show that God has healed us.

Romans 12:9-18
Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.

So, brother or sister in Christ, let’s look at this list and look at our lives. You were beautifully designed and created to do these things and your savior loves to watch you doing this by his Spirit. And if you run into a difficult situation with another person, where you feel a battle breaking out inside of you, remember this simple phrase - “Outdo one another in showing honor.”

Let’s have some healthy competition, God ordained competition! Try to honor your wife by outdoing her in household chores at night. Honor your daughter by outdoing her in not raising your voice when she raises hers. Outdo your coworker, showing honor by listening to what’s important to him and complimenting him. Outdo your friend on a retreat by honoring them with the master bedroom and sleeping on the sofa. Outdo your church family member with kindness and patience when they criticize you. Let’s start some healthy competition to see who can outdo the other in showing honor. Let’s look at the believers in our lives and say, “I don’t know how I’m going to be able to outdo you in showing me honor, but with the Holy Spirit’s help, it’s on.” God loves watching well-made people, doing what he created us to do. 

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