Have you ever been described as a competitive person? Do you find that the desire to prove yourself and rise to the top fuels you? I would venture to say that it is a natural feeling to have, and our culture even rewards those who are willing to push themselves to the limit. It’s a reasonable desire, recognition, maybe in the form of a promotion or raise at work. Hopefully there’s a shiny trophy or change in title that is waiting for you “at the top”. And yet, no matter the setting, sporting events, the workplace, school, what does everyone with a competitive spirit have in common? The awareness of the performance of their peers.
It’s often easier to pay more attention to what others are doing than it is to take a good look at our own lives. It’s natural to compare ourselves to others too. For example, as women many of us do this with appearance. I’m here to say that we are not called to live in this “rat-race” as so many call it. Nowhere does it say in the Bible that God expects winners out
of all of us. In fact, Jesus was pretty clear in Matthew 19 when he said, “many who are first will be last, and many who are last shall be first”. So, in a world that recognizes winning and performing, how do we hold this tension? Because to be honest, it can be so hard to not strive for first place.
I think the first step in holding this tension is recognizing and disengaging from the pride that comes with winning and achieving. You may be thinking, doing our best and aiming for first is biblical, and it’s true that in 1 Corinthians Paul says “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.” Even
Paul is quick to point out that the prize isn’t the medal or trophy we are used to feeding our pride with, but a prize that is eternal and has forever consequences. Tension. Do the thing, but in the right way, for the right reasons.
I’m not saying we shouldn’t try our best, we should run the race set out for us as Paul says, but that’s exactly it – run your race.
Not against anyone, not with the intent to win or lose, but to fulfill the purpose placed deep within you. And it will feel like a race sometimes, because life throws seasons at us, both good and bad, but the course of your life is intentionally designed to be your race, and no one else can run it but you, so do it well!
In my own working experience, I remember starting my career wanting to be the best at what I did. Show my work ethic was the best, that I was smarter than my peers and more capable than expected. It was exhausting. So, I started setting goals against myself instead of my peers. As soon as the blinders went up, a lot of that stress went away. Certainly not all of it, (that’s a different story, read my post about “working for me” if you’re curious for more) but when you are staying in your lane, there is no first place, and there is no last. In fact, my goal became to just get better each day. And with time, that goal turned into having grace for myself and God continues to hold my hand as I set goals with Him, both professionally and personally.
When you think about your career or the season of life you are in, do you have your blinders up? Are you running to be the best? Or are you running to be the best version of who God called you to be? In a world aimed at going for the gold and setting records, I’m choosing to train with the greatest coach of all, who has never failed, Jesus.
Her Office Closet 