Competition

[Mark Quayle]

It seems you were right, but my certitude about that comes from Jn 14,3

To put it plainly, we are made to be one with Christ. John 17 talks about that in almost frighteningly definite tones; John 14:3 (and many other passages) promises it will happen and that it is an active work of God, a definite purpose.

 

[peter2]

To put it plainly, we are made to be one with Christ. John 17 talks about that in almost frighteningly definite tones; John 14:3 (and many other passages) promises it will happen and that it is an active work of God, a definite purpose.

i agree without restriction

 

[joymercy]

Thomas Kempis wrote:

"Without humility, there is neither salvation nor real virtue. Nor can any action done without humility be pleasing to God.

Any work or deed-no matter how noble or preserving-achieves nothing for the soul if it is motivated or accompanied by pride and arrogance.

The truly humble person ascribes all good things he does to his Creator and is willing to resign himself in all imaginable situations."

This speaks to me as meaning that one should make ones self malleable and be formed into His image at all times, so that, in humility, one may be his obedient servant, doing His will and not ones own.

Therefore, we must conquer and bring into death, sin and all temptations to sin.

Death shall be swallowed up in Victory in the end, to those of us who persevere under trials and run the race


Quote taken from Humility and the Elevation of the Mind to God by Thomas A Kempis

 

[peter2]

Thank you for your reply, joymercy.
Not sure promoting humility has something to do with competition or race.
In fact, i Hardly imagine Mary competing to become Mother of God

 

[WarriorAngel]

Thank you for your reply, joymercy.
Not sure promoting humility has something to do with competition or race.
In fact, i Hardly imagine Mary competing to become Mother of God

Well the point of the Lord's incarnation, passion, death and resurrection was to compete and complete salvific measures for our souls.

 

[peter2]

Well the point of the Lord's incarnation, passion, death and resurrection was to compete and complete salvific measures for our souls.

i think to call incarnation, passion, death and resurrection a competition, it requires a rivalry. Now, it's probable the high priest did consider Jesus a rival, but i fail to admit any reciprocity in this feeling of rivalry.

 

[WarriorAngel]

i think to call incarnation, passion, death and resurrection a competition, it requires a rivalry. Now, it's probable the high priest did consider Jesus a rival, but i fail to admit any reciprocity in this feeling of rivalry.

Humanity fell not because the Lord was in competition, but the foe of the Lord.

 

[peter2]

Humanity fell not because the Lord was in competition, but the foe of the Lord.

To make foe is like to make friend, you have to agree both. However Malchus did treated Jesus as a foe, Jesus healed his ear. i conclude He treated him back as a friend

 

[boughtwithaprice]

It probably was not a problem in Jesus time, but what we have today is competition in reverse, and we have raised a generation of entitled sloths. "That's not fair. everybody gets that same thing" is the cry of the modern day secularist. We get participation trophies and complaints about income inequality from the overfed poor. Elton John said it in 1974, "times are changing, now the poor get fat...." Everyone tries to out do one another to get more stuff for free and less work. If one becomes rich through hard work, he is meant to feel guilty. The deadly sins of Envy and Sloth are alive and well in the 21st century.
This is not godly; it is sickening.

The good news is that God reigns over a kingdom, not a democracy, and certainly not a communist state.
Not everyone is the same, and there is a hierarchy in the Church and a hierarchy in heaven. The Virgin Mary is the greatest of all of God's creation, and none of us can ever hope to reach the heights of her virtue, but we give her hyperdulia. It is only protestants that try and drag her down to our level for no other reason that they want all to be equal, or think they can exceed her virtue. The irony of protestantism is that it is generally right wing politically, but left wing theologically; they all think that they are right next to God Himself. Yes there is one mediator between God and man (Mankind), the man Jesus Christ, but among men there is a hierarchy and many intercessors, the height of which being our Queen, Mary.

We need to spur one another on to well doing, train up one another in virtue. We all know the deadly sins or pride, lust, envy, wrath, greed, gluttony and sloth. Those are easy to fall into, as we have concupiscence, but the contrary virtues must be had with effort, and effort is more effective in a group.
As a group in a competition we can learn humility, chastity, kindness, patience, generosity, temperance, and fortitude. These are the contrary virtues to the seven deadly sins. Virtues are habits, and habits are only learned by doing. Since our flesh is weak, we need to encourage one another.

1 Corinthians 9

[24] Know you not that they that run in the race, all run indeed, but one receiveth the prize? So run that you may obtain. [25] And every one that striveth for the mastery, refraineth himself from all things: and they indeed that they may receive a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible one.

[26] I therefore so run, not as at an uncertainty: I so fight, not as one beating the air: [27] But I chastise my body, and bring it into subjection: lest perhaps, when I have preached to others, I myself should become a castaway.

[27] "I chastise": Here St. Paul shews the necessity of self-denial and mortification, to subdue the flesh, and its inordinate desires.



Christianity is not like the TV show Survivor, where everyone gets voted off the island till there is one left that wins a million bucks. Yes in Christianity, all win, but not all receive the same reward, and we don't know who gets what, but Jesus gives us clues. He told us a widow gave more for the kingdom than all the rich at the temple. She gave a penny and the rich gave millions, but she gave all she had, the rich held back some for themselves.
We need to compete with one another to be the best we can be, and we do not envy those that seem to have more spiritual gifts than ourselves, all press on for the prize to hear the best words that can be heard by mortal men, " well done, thou good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of the Lord'

 

[peter2]

Helle BwaP,
Could you take a look at the reference of your scriptures, please, i fail to find what you write in Romans 12, 24-27

 

[peter2]

It probably was not a problem in Jesus time, but what we have today is competition in reverse, and we have raised a generation of entitled sloths. "That's not fair. everybody gets that same thing" is the cry of the modern day secularist. We get participation trophies and complaints about income inequality from the overfed poor. Elton John said it in 1974, "times are changing, now the poor get fat...." Everyone tries to out do one another to get more stuff for free and less work. If one becomes rich through hard work, he is meant to feel guilty. The deadly sins of Envy and Sloth are alive and well in the 21st century.
This is not godly; it is sickening.

Hello again bwap,
i suppose i understand the situation. The competition in reverse you speak of may have something to do with a headlong rush, the kind of headlong rush people go through to escape a little further from loving one another, the Gospel and God, etc... It would be too simple for many to truly welcome a little one with a glass of fresh water or any little nothingness for the reason he is Jesus' disciple (Mt 10,42). They'd rather passed by to the other side like the priest or the levite of the parable (Lk 10)

But such behaviors sustain the harsher competition, this of our merciless world, this of animals, for the traveller without help risks death, whereas the Samaritan risks softening competition, which makes him loose time, money, when priest and levite loose none of them..

 

[boughtwithaprice]

Helle BwaP,
Could you take a look at the reference of your scriptures, please, i fail to find what you write in Romans 12, 24-27

my humble apologies, the quote is from 1Cor 9, not Romans 12. that was a error an I will correct

 

[boughtwithaprice]

Hello again bwap,
i suppose i understand the situation. The competition in reverse you speak of may have something to do with a headlong rush, the kind of headlong rush people go through to escape a little further from loving one another, the Gospel and God, etc... It would be too simple for many to truly welcome a little one with a glass of fresh water or any little nothingness for the reason he is Jesus' disciple (Mt 10,42). They'd rather passed by to the other side like the priest or the levite of the parable (Lk 10)

But such behaviors sustain the harsher competition, this of our merciless world, this of animals, for the traveller without help risks death, whereas the Samaritan risks softening competition, which makes him loose time, money, when priest and levite loose none of them..

Competition for Earthly things is fruitless, as our Lord says what does it profit a man should he gain the whole world, yet lose his soul? This does not mean that competition itself is bad, but what is the object of that competition? If it is for earthly goods or power, it is indeed evil and the competitors should be derided as fools. All of the deadly sins come from our desire for worldly goods, which are no goods at all rather temporary pleasures. They are of no use in eternity. It is as the play Macbeth; Macbeth saw the object of his desire was the throne, yet when he obtained it, it was completely useless to him, and he lost his life at the hands of Macduff.

Human beings are social animals and we are inspired by the behavior of others. If we compete for heavenly things, we then glorify God. He said the greatest among you shall be your servant. We need to take our eyes off of earthly goods and esteem of the world. As a communion of saints, we can spur eachother on.
Consider the virtue of Our Lady, Mary when it was attempted to give her praise by a crowd. In Luke 11 a woman yells out to Jesus, blessed is the womb that bore you and the paps that gave you suck. She would not allow herself to be praised when she is standing in the presence of God, and Jesus who is without sin could not dishonor His mother. Mary was present at that moment, and I could imagine the look between mother and son. (Don't let them do this to me, I am by your side and you are God the Son; don't worry mother, I cannot dishonor you, so I will honor you and glorify the Father at the same time, their minds and hearts will return to God) Yea, rather blessed are those that hear the word of God and keep it. According to Luke chapter 1, no one kept the word of God better than Mary. Behold the handmaid of the Lord, let it be done to me according to your word, so Our Lord was not insulting Our Lady, as some protestants claim.
That is virtue, and we should strive to imitate it. As humans, we learn by example, and if there were no competition in virtue, we would never see it be done, and would be unable to imitate.
Communism leads to inaction and sloth, holy competition spurs us on to greater heights of godliness, and the greater glory of God. You are the salt of the earth. What good is salt if it has lost its savor?
We press on and not grow weary

 

[peter2]

my humble apologies, the quote is from 1Cor 9, not Romans 12. that was a error an I will correct

Thank you, BwaP, i found the scripture.
And i'm sorry to fail finding any competition in it.

In 1 Corinthians 9, 23, Paul writes the reason why he makes himself a slave of people, that is, for the Gospel's sake, to be one of its partakers... Now, enslaving oneself to someone else, partaking as well of the Gospel with someone else is not the more efficient way to win while monopolizing the price Paul speaks of for his own usage, as distinct from what a competitor would do.

And in 1 Corinthians 9, 26, Paul does mention running or fighting for competition, but i 'm not sure he himself ever physically competed in a stadium.

 

[peter2]

Hello again, BwaP,
I'don't feel communist, neither capitalist.
i 'm not very politically oriented.
I just would say Capitalism looks to me like a worldwide game. Now, life doesn't looks like a game, to me again.
As for communism, i would say the soberness it requires needs time and/or wisdom to achieve its goal. They cannot reach this goal by force.

 

[boughtwithaprice]

Hello again, BwaP,
I'don't feel communist, neither capitalist.
i 'm not very politically oriented.
I just would say Capitalism looks to me like a worldwide game. Now, life doesn't looks like a game, to me again.
As for communism, i would say the soberness it requires needs time and/or wisdom to achieve its goal. They cannot reach this goal by force.

I agree that politics are not worth picking sides. I only used them to contrast the way they operate. in the material world, they both have the same goal, which is economic success. Fulton Sheen once remarked that a communist is just a capitalist with no cash in his pocket. As far as the world goes, I don't care who is in charge. The pleasures of this world are all temporary and as Solomon said, meaningless, meaningless, everything is meaningless. The difference is in the way they operate.
In Capitalism, which was only given its name by Marx in a effort to disparage it, a laborer gets to keep the fruits of his labor. He then decides to distribute them as he sees fit. This rewards hard work and punishes sloth. In Communism, the fruits of labor belong to the State, and they are distributed as the State sees fit. This tends to reward sloth, and punishes hard work. As the things of this world are meaningless, it matters little how the world is run in light of eternity. It is all fine and good to be apathetic is we are speaking of the things of this world.
Satan uses this apathy for the things of this world, and tells us that hard work is useless. Everyone is the same. Those that work hard think they are better than you, don't follow them. Take it easy. He gets people to act like spiritual communists and discard hard work and virtue. His greatest deception is protestant thought. Ask any protestant and they will tell you that you cannot be saved by good works. Just take Jesus as your savior, and you will be fine. That is spiritual communism. Contrast that with Catholic thought. The Catholic Church teaches, as does Our Lord, that we will be rewarded for good works done in a state of sanctifying grace, and we will be judged by our works. 1 Corinthians 3 tells us

[11] For other foundation no man can lay, but that which is laid; which is Christ Jesus. [12] Now if any man build upon this foundation, gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble: [13] Every man's work shall be manifest; for the day of the Lord shall declare it, because it shall be revealed in fire; and the fire shall try every man's work, of what sort it is. [14] If any man's work abide, which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. [15] If any man's work burn, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire.


1 Cor 9 speaks of running a race. He also uses military analogies as in Ephesians 6. In this world, we are the Church Militant and we need to strive, run the race and persevere to the end. The competition, whether with our own sinfulness, Satan, or others that would discourage us is there, but compete we must. The love of God drives us on, the love of self tells us it is too hard and wants us to give up.

 

[peter2]

To speak a little further of politics, i'd say the capitalism of stock market is also a gamer's activity. I besides noticed some communism promoting people (or pretending at least to be communists) are sometimes gaming very much and skillfully with stocks. Don't know for what purpose..

i thank you to make me really deepening my knowledge of the Scriptures that follow the Gospel.
But..
i don't find an apology of material works in 1 Cor 3 .. Paul himself says he's unimportant as regards his work 1 Cor 3, 7.
At the 12th verse, I doubt Paul speaks of true gold, silver, precious stone, wood, hay, stubble, for these material of the works have to be revealed by fire. Now, while the three first are fusible through fire, the three second become ashes. In short, any work with any of these materials disappears through fire or heat. What remains seems to be what's left of your transmission of Christ, in a likewise manner as Paul or Apollo did

1 Cor 9 speaks of running a race. He also uses military analogies as in Ephesians 6. In this world, we are the Church Militant and we need to strive, run the race and persevere to the end. The competition, whether with our own sinfulness, Satan, or others that would discourage us is there, but compete we must. The love of God drives us on, the love of self tells us it is too hard and wants us to give up.

i agree to speak of competition provided you speak of a competition between them and themselves, that is, in order to prefer one another in honour (to strive to give preference to others) (Romans 12, 10) which reverts to grow altruistic (without any comparison with altruism from brothers, of course)