September 28 – Meaningless Competition (Philippians 2:3)

“I saw that all labor and all achievement spring from man’s envy of his neighbor.” (Ecclesiastes 4:4)

IN WORD:
We like to think that our motives, at least on occasion, are pure. When we work hard and strive for success, we’d like to think we are doing so for the sake of our families and our God. But are we? Solomon’s observation is all too relevant. Even on our best days, we compare ourselves with others. And much of our motivation for achievement comes from one self-centered impetus: rivalry.
When are our ambitions most powerfully fueled? When are our accomplishments the sweetest? When are we most driven to achieve? When a rival is in the picture. We do want to bear fruit for God and to have an abundant life in His name. But there are subtle competitions that propel us further and deeper into our work. There is more than His glory at stake; There is ours. We work not only for the sake of His name but for the sake of our name.
Don’t believe it? Consider how often you compare your kids with those of others. Consider how you feel about your own house or neighborhood relative to others’. Consider your income and your position. Do we not strive for the best-sounding title on our resumes and business cards? When someone asks us what we do for a living, do we not cast it in the most impressive terms possible? Who are we trying to impress? It can’t be God; He knows what we do and how we do it. He already knows the level of responsibility we have and the income it brings. Is it possible that we try to impress others with our station in life? Solomon says yes! Our strongest motivations often spring from envy.

IN DEED:
Seek to consider only God’s favor, no one else’s. Force yourself to refrain from trying to impress people with what you’ve done, what you make, or how well you run your home. Consider yourself first and foremost a child of God, a position for which there is no rivalry. Make a conscious decision that prestige is like the wind, and you will no longer chase after it.

“Envy of another man’s calling can work havoc in our own.”
-Watchman Nee-