The Competitive Attitude

Luke 9:46-50

It is shocking how much time and money is devoted to sports in America. The state of New Mexico will have a four hundred million dollar deficit this year, but Albuquerque Public Schools will fund a two hundred fifty million dollar sports complex to host state tournaments. The University of New Mexico just spent fifty million refurbishing the basketball arena that APS has used for the last few years. It seems foolish to spend so much for such things when we need so many more important things.

About half of most news broadcasts, and a major section of most news papers is devoted to sports, and professional players receive more annually than most people will ever earn in a lifetime, yet who won the tournament or top prize has no real impact on anyone but his fellow competitors. Who won the Superbowl does not affect most people’s wages, or their lifestyle, but churches cancel services so people can watch the game.

The only reason people focus on sports is that the natural human is intensely competitive. He wants to outdo those around him. The goal is to win. As the modern saying goes, “Winning isn’t the most important thing, it’s the only thing.” That is a real change from the old philosophy, “It’s not whether you win or lose, but how you play the game.”

The old philosophy encouraged following the rules,while the new encourages cheating to win. The philosophy shows up in every area of life. Businesses cheat to gain competitive edge, lawyers cheat to win their case, and people make foolish and harmful purchases in the effort to ‘outdo’ their peers.

The same attitude shows up in the church, with competition between churches at every level, from the fancier buildings or larger congregations to the church softball team. When we first came to the reservation, the existing mission groups tried to get us blocked from building a church because we had not been one of the original missions groups. Churches have gotten changes in zoning laws in several cities to prevent another group from starting, and here in Kirtland, one group warned some people that if they rented a building to my dad to start a church, it would be burned down. The same competitive tendency was present in Jesus’ day.

“Then there arose a reasoning among them, which of them should be greatest.” (Luke 9:46)

The desire to be the greatest was a driving force and caused many arguments among the apostles, resulting in jealousy and resentment as Luke 22:24 tells us. “And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest.” Matthew 20:24 describes the reaction when James and John’s mother tried to get them a special place. “And when the ten heard it, they were moved with indignation against the two brethren.”

Competition results from pride, and is not of God, but of the world. It troubles me that so much of Christian interaction is based on competition. Jesus makes it very clear that there is to be no competition among Christians. We are to eliminate pride, and competition fosters it.

“And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a child, and set him by him, And said unto them, Whosoever shall receive this child in my name receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me receiveth him that sent me: for he that is least among you all, the same shall be great.” (Luke 9:47-48)

In Matthew 20:25-28, Jesus forbids setting one above another. In Matthew 23:8-12 he forbids adopting titles that distinguish one from another, stating that we are brothers and sisters. Modern Christianity has largely ignored Jesus’ command, liking the prestige, just as the Pharisees did.

In the book of Acts, time after time we are told that the Jews in the city were content for Paul to teach in the synagogue until the gentiles began to flock to hear the Word. Then they became jealous and stirred up persecution. Jesus’ teachings did not negate the Jewish religion, but a competitive spirit caused conflict. Some modern Messianic Jews have no conflict with other Christians who do not follow the old Testament law, while others make it an issue. The conflict is the result of pride, that “we’re better than you because we …” attitude.

That same attitude is the basis for most of the various Christian organizations we see today. The pride involved is demonstrated by one group’s slogan, “Doing the most good” Much of the false teaching of today is the result of a deliberate effort to prove superiority over some other group. Clearly the apostles inclined to do the same things.

“And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we forbad him, because he followeth not with us. And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us.” (Luke 9:49-50)

Only God knows how much the cause of Christ has been hurt because Christians would not follow the command to leave other groups alone. So often the differences are so minute and obscure as to be incomprehensible even to members of the groups, much less outsiders. The conflict only implies that there is an absence of love, which implies that we do not really know God.

If a group is teaching obvious false doctrine, we are to try to correct his doctrine, but if he insists in keeping it, we are to back away, according to II Thessalonians 3:14-15. “And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.” The old saying, “a man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still” is still true. If he is not teaching false doctrine, we have no reason to disagree. If he is, we will never force him to change his mind, but careful study of the scriptures may attract his attention. If it doesn’t, we are to leave him alone. That determination to prove we are right, and win the argument is sinful.