Competition

I recently read an article on how the United States has becomes consumed with competition. We as Americans have been taught that we have to be the best at everything we do, or we are worthless. Every two years we have a world-wide competition called the Olympics, and at some point during the day they will display a news bulletin with the running medal count. I don't know if other countries do this, but I believe that we do this in America to remind ourselves of how much we are beating the rest of the world.

As a minister I see this competitive attitude dominating the church. Pastors feel a need to 1-up their fellow pastors. Youth pastors have to do bigger events than the youth pastor down the road. Worship leaders have to record a CD before the other church does.

But I wonder to myself, where has this competition gotten us? Are we really where we want to be as a society? Are our churches finding success in fulfilling the Great Commission or are we basing our success in comparison to other churches.

I have never been a competitive person. All my life I have strived to stay humble in all circumstances. I know that I have fallen short many times, but it is still a goal of mine. Personally, I don't feel like I have to win every time I attempt something. My goal is not to be the best, and most of the time I don't even want people to know that I did something worthy of recognition or praise. This may sound funny, but I don't play to win. I play to enjoy the game, and often I get ridiculed for that.

Over the years I've been criticized for not being a ladder climber. I've been admonished for not taking a more proactive role in different aspects of life. I've been called "less of a man" because I refuse to play with the "big boys". People have criticized me for not having recorded a CD already or for not doing more with my music. I understand what they are trying to say, but most of the time I feel they are coming from that competitive point of view which I would prefer to stay out of.

My attitude has always been and will continue to be to just trust God to take me and to place me where He wants me to be. I've always believed that those doors that I have to pry open were never meant for me to walk through. I will not be a ladder climber, and I will not fight my way to the top.

Do I have unfulfilled dreams? Too many to count. Do I have goals in life? Absolutely. But what price am I willing to pay to achieve those goals and dreams? I would rather be patient and wait for God to make it happen than try to get there on my own and leave a trail of hurt, deceit and regret along the way.

If that makes me less of a man to some that's okay, because I know who I am, and I know who God has made me to be. I choose to take God's plan for me over man's.