A certain level of competitiveness is good. You need it. When children enter a spelling contest they study harder and learn more because they're going to compete. They know their academic prowess is about to be challenged and they get ready for it because we like to win. But when your competitiveness makes you feel 'less than', or 'better than' another person, it's gone too far. One of the things I had to overcome and some would say I haven't yet, is my grandma letting me win all the time. I thought I should win all the time as a child and when I didn't it wasn't pretty. Paul writes about unhealthy comparisons when he says: '...When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise. We, however, will not boast beyond proper limits, but will confine our boasting to the sphere of service God...has assigned to us.' (2 Corinthians 10:12-13 NIV) To evaluate your success accurately you must first understand your God-given purpose. When you play on a team your position determines your purpose. Attackers and defenders have different skills, but to win, the team needs both. The defender who keeps the opposing team from scoring is just as valuable as the attacker who scores. One may get more applause than the other, but victory belongs to them all. When you keep comparing yourself with others you're denied a sense of accomplishment, because you've made the benchmark to be like somebody else. No, they are playing a different position. They have a different purpose. They have a different skill set designed to fulfill the role God has given them. God gives you everything you need for the position you play and the purpose you have. What a liberating truth! And God, who gave others the ability to excel at what they do, will do the same for you when you learn to focus on Him, not them.'...They measure themselves by themselves...' 2 Corinthians 10:12 NIV You are loved...
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