#write31days: What Is Competition?

Are you any of you sports fans? Throughout my life, I would not have identified myself as a sports fan. My family lived in Indianapolis for three years during my childhood, and while I claimed to cheer for the Colts and Pacers, I didn't know much about either game or team. It wasn't until I came to the University of Georgia that I began to follow sports. Attending the home football games was an experience like no other.

I wouldn't consider myself to be a competitive person, yet in the midst of comparison, jealousy, and resentment, isn't that the condition of my heart? If I feel like I am lagging behind or less than when I look to the lives of my peers to define my worth and status, then I've made life into a competition.

Have you ever stopped to look at nature and consider the beauty that God created for us to behold each day? Today I was looking at the leaves that are slowly changing, and I was caught up in their beauty! The leaves don't look to one another and say, "Wow, her hue is so much brighter than mine! If only I were like her. I wish I could outshine her and get more attention. Then people would really love me." This sounds silly, but we do this when we attempt to compete with others by making everything in our lives a competition.

The beautiful creation that surrounds us does not attempt to outshine or outgrow its counterparts. Each part of nature just does it job. We are the only ones in all of creation that attempt to outshine our neighbors and make a name for ourselves when we were created to praise our Creator and give Him glory.

This week we are taking a look at what happens when we compete with others. Buckle up, friends!