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Friend, or Competition?

I have a little food for thought from one of Greg Matte's sermons on "The Need for Companionship" from his Genesis series.

We live in a very competitive culture and I think that we end up seeing people as competition to be beat instead of companions to be met...and to be loved and to be cared for.

"Well, if you're pretty, well I'm going to be a little bit prettier. If you dress good, then I'm going to dress a little better. If you're smart, I'm a little bit smarter. If you're successful, I'm a little bit more successful. If you're spiritual, I'm a little bit more spiritual. If I'm just a little bit ahead of you and I can compete and win, then we can be friends, but I have to establish I win first because of the competitive culture we live in."
People are not competition, they're people and so we can interact with them and come around them and allow them to relate as we're transparent in our lives.

Sound familiar to anyone? I think we are all guilty of this (myself included - not trying to play innocent here) - some to a much deeper extent than others, and some in a very subconscious way. I do agree our culture has lead people this way. I hate it. I may be guilty of it as well, but competition, in general, scares the hell out of me. It is something I'd rather not have to deal with on a day-to-day basis. Yes, there is certainly a time and place for competition, and I'm very competitive with myself when it comes to a place where I have the potential to better myself, but gees - imagine a world where we could truly love our friends for who they are, not for how good their faults or inadequacies make us look.
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Love and Puppies, Christy said…
I agree with you, but for me at least, it's not a blanket statement that I am competitive with everyone. I am competitive with some people about some things...and with those people, about those things, I CANNOT fail or it will be tragic.

Unfortunately, my high school nemesis, Jacqueline, is still pretty and it makes me absolutely freaking insane.
March 24, 2010 at 10:41 AM
Amy said…
Greg's message is right on target with Beth Moore's new book, So Long Insecurity. Just this morning I came across this passage that she quotes from The Message, Galatians 5:21 "...the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival..." Her discussion draws parallels to the fact that we view contendors through a one dimensional lense rather than as a person. All because its easier to despise someone that way.

Ouch. I'm more guilty than I like admitting.
March 24, 2010 at 11:25 AM
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