1 Corinthians 9:25 NKJV
And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.
Beloved,
There is a balance that Christian people must strike when it comes to relating in the kingdom and in the marketplace. For instance, we do not compete in doing the work of God, however, competition is inevitable in the marketplace. When we take the mindset that does not compete (which is our inheritance in the kingdom) to the world where competition is the order of the day, we become ineffective and failure is inevitable.
In developing the virtue of a healthy competition, it will start from understanding the importance of competition.
Healthy completion affords us a prize. Resources that we have access to in life get to us in one of three ways: as inheritance, gift and reward. One major way we attract reward is through competition. There are many things that would not be yours if you do not compete for it.
Healthy competition stirs up a need for improvement. It puts us on our toes and makes us explore all the options available. In the marketplace, it is an activity set up to make us better.
From another perspective, competition creates a legal way to get what is yours from the opponent. For instance, the Lord specifically instructed the Israelites to engage the Canaanites in other to claim their land (Deuteronomy 2:31-33). That is competition. The Bible says that they noticed that the house of Saul was getting weaker and weaker, while the house of David was getting stronger and stronger (2 Samuel 3:1). That is a statement of competition. When you submit your proposal for a contract, you can be sure that there are many other contractors submitting their proposals too and the best of the proposals will be approved. That is competition.
I will round off today by letting you know that you must shift your mind away from the unhealthy side of competition and ensure you never get into that. Such is pulling people down in other to rise, becoming desperate and ready to do anything all in the name of competition. However, in moving from the negative extreme of rivalry and doing anything to get ahead, you must not get to the other negative extreme side of becoming lackadaisical and chickening out at the threat of the slightest opposition.
This is your best day ever.
I commend you to God and to the word of His grace.
I call you BLESSED. I call you NATIONS.
