Here’s Exactly What You Need to Know about Christianity and Competition!

This blog post is all about Christianity and Competition

Christianity and competition can be a heated topic for some and may have a negative connotation. People can see it as inherently evil or sinful. They can ask, “How do you balance Christianity with the need to succeed in a competitive world?” This is a question that many people struggle with, and it can be challenging to find the right balance.

Many believe that Christianity and competition cannot coexist, but this is not true. Christianity has a lot to teach us about competing in a fair and honorable way.

In this blog post, we will explore Christianity and competition and discuss how you can find the right balance for yourself. ❤️ I will begin with the cons of competition and work my way up to the fun, positive, and exciting things about competition.

Ready? Let’s go

What is competition?

I want to address the notion that competition is negative as we begin. So, let’s start with the definition.

According to dictonary.com, competition is derived from the Latin verb competere, meaning “to meet, come together.”

This means pushing each other to strive together. I don’t know about you, but reading that kinda tells me that there is an element of camaraderie (ok, maybe I’m kinda reaching, but you get my point 🤣).

Is competition a sin?

This is a question that has been debated for centuries. Christianity and competition can be difficult to balance. However, I would like to note the following:

• Competition should always glorify God.
• We must complete with fairness and morality.
• Celebrating others’ victory is essential.
• Envy and jealousy shouldn’t take root.

Competition can become sinful when a person starts to covet and envy others. I have seen people entangled in an unhealthy competition that they begin to lie, scheme, steal, bring strife, and even sabotage others to win! This is not the heart of God.

If you feel that you or someone you know is involved in an unhealthy competition that can lead to sin, I advise you to pray for them. If you get the green light and have a good relationship with them, correct them with love!

Examples of competition in the Bible (unhealthy)

There are examples of unhealthy competition in the Bible. People are often praised for their achievements instead of their faithfulness to God. In order to balance Christianity and competition, we need to remember that our ultimate goal is to please Him. We should compete against ourselves by trying to be the best version of ourselves, not against others.

To better illustrate unhealthy competition, let me go over one bible character and their story:

Bible characters who had an unhealthy competition

Cain killed his brother Abel in jealousy.

Both Cain and Abel were to bring offerings to God. Cain brought his harvest, while Abel brought the best portions of the firstborn of his flock (Genesis 4:4). When the Lord looked with favor upon Abel, this is when things go wrong. Cain’s jealousy led him to commit one of the first murders in history.

Jealousy and unhealthy competition often go hand in hand. We see it everywhere, from playgrounds to boardrooms. It’s easy to understand why – when we feel like someone is threatening our success or taking something away from us, it can be difficult not to react.

Cain’s character illustrates how competition can quickly become unhealthy and destructive. When we become too focused on winning, we can lose sight of what’s truly important, including our relationships with others. Christianity teaches us that there is more to life than just competition and winning – we are called to love our neighbor as ourselves. When we remember this, we can find a healthy balance between our faith and the need to succeed.

Unhealthy competition undermines purpose!

Christianity teaches us that we are all children of God, created in His image and likeness. We are loved unconditionally by Him and have inherent dignity and worth. As such, we are to love our neighbor as ourselves (Mark 12:31).

So, one danger that I want to highlight is that unhealthy competition can undermine one’s purpose here on earth. We can keep comparing ourselves to others and then abandon our purpose journey to copy others. Please don’t fall prey to unhealthy competition. God has a beautiful purpose for you, and it’s tailor-made for your destiny journey. His plans are for prosperity and not harm (Jeremiah 29:11). Focusing on our own journey will naturally lead to success in other areas of our lives.

If you feel that you aren’t confident in your purpose, please read this post that I wrote. It’s super motivating and will send you in the right direction.

It is important to remember that God has given us all different talents and strengths, and we should use these gifts to glorify Him. We should also compete fairly and honestly, always giving our best effort. With God’s help, we can find success in whatever we do.

What does the Bible say about competition?

The Bible has a lot to say about competition, and it’s not all negative. In fact, the Bible often speaks positively about healthy competition.

Healthy competition can also be a good motivator. In Philippians, Paul wrote about how he was motivated to preach the gospel because he wanted to win the spiritual race (Philippians 3:14-16). And in Hebrews, Paul urged Christians to “run with endurance the race that is set before us” (Hebrews 12:1-2).

Paul, a Roman citizen, did not condemn games or sports that were common in the Roman Society. If it were sinful, he would have definitely rebuked that. However, from the two verses I mentioned, he was able to use competition and games as a metaphor to parallel that to the Christian race.

Benefits of competition in Christianity

Christianity and competition don’t have to be mutually exclusive, though. In fact, many of the world’s most successful athletes are also devout Christians and give credit to Christianity for giving them the strength to compete.

When it comes to Christianity and competition, many benefits can be seen. They are as follows:

• Strive for Excellence: One of the main benefits is that competition can help to drive people to do their best. Competition can help motivate people to do their best to achieve success. In Christianity, we are called to be disciples of Jesus Christ and to follow Him. This means that we should always be striving to become better in order for Him to be proud of us.

• Builds Character: Another benefit of competition within Christianity is that it can help to build character. When we compete against others, we are often put in difficult situations where we have to make choices. Do we choose the path that is easy or the path that is hard? Christianity is all about choices, and competition can help to prepare us for making those choices. It can teach us how to handle difficult situations and make decisions that are in line with our faith.

Christianity and competition can go hand-in-hand if we remember the benefits that competition can bring. It can help us become better disciples of Jesus Christ and help build our character. We should always strive to do our best and make choices that align with our faith. Christianity is not about winning or losing but about becoming the best versions of ourselves. Competition can be a great tool to help us achieve that goal.

8 Helpful Tips on Healthy Christian Competition

So how can we balance our faith with the need to succeed?

Here are a few tips to remember:

1. Remember that God has given you unique talents and abilities. Don’t compare yourself to others – focus on using your gifts to the best of your ability.
2. Note: We are called to excellence, not perfection.
3. Be humble. Remember that success is not about winning or being better than someone else; it’s about using your gifts for the glory of God.
4. Pray for guidance. Ask God to help you find the right balance between Christianity and competition.
5. We are to focus on our own journey, not compare ourselves to others.
6. Focus on the positive. When you’re feeling jealous or competitive, try to focus on the positive aspects of the situation. For example, if you’re competing against someone at work, focus on the fact that you both have the same goal and are working hard to achieve it.
7. Seek counsel. If you’re having difficulty balancing Christianity and competition, talk to someone who can help – a pastor, counselor, or trusted friend.
8. We are to use our gifts and talents for the good of others, not just ourselves.

By following these tips, you can learn to balance Christianity and competition in a healthy way. Just remember that Christianity is about more than winning – it’s about using your gifts to glorify God.

And that’s its folks, all about Christianity and Competition.

In conclusion, Christianity and Competition can be a difficult balance to maintain. However, with prayer and guidance from the Lord, it is possible to find the right balance for each individual.

We should also remember that there is no crown without a cross. The path to excellence is often filled with trials and hardships, but it’s worth it in the end.

Let’s compete against our own weaknesses and strive for excellence in everything we do. When we put God first, He will bless us with success, both in this life and the next.

P.S Here is the corresponding YouTube video that I created to go with this post!

Hugs,