Spiritual Competition

[Benjamin Müller]

I'm not sure where to place this so I'm hoping this board is the correct place.

I'm faced with a fault of mine, stemming from pride, but I realized today, I'm spiritually competitive. When I'm corrected or someone knows more than me, especially if it's someone I feel particularly competitive too, I feel ashamed and I feel down. I want to be the one who understands and knows things. I have a problem with wanting preeminence, at least in regard to one person in particular.

Although verses come to my mind, such as he who is greatest among you is he who serves and esteem others better than yourself. I'd appreciate if others would bombard me with more scriptures for me to study or tell me anything you think I should hear / read.

Be honest; don't hold back. It might be hard for me, but just tell me like it is. I want to overcome this.

 

[Tigger45]

Good start, first you recognized it then you stepped up and admitted your short comings that better then a a lot of folks.

 

[CallofChrist]

There is an endless amount of things that we can know about the Bible, prayer, etc.- or that we do for the Lord. We really cannot compete in some sense, because we are all doing different things. We cannot truly out-do each other in any measurable way. God loves and accepts all of our true worship and service. He knows our desires and can work things out with us all

 

[Rachel20]

Although verses come to my mind, such as he who is greatest among you is he who serves and esteem others better than yourself. I'd appreciate if others would bombard me with more scriptures

Ok, here's one of my favorites:

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

1 Co 13:1-2

 

[Benjamin Müller]

I've always been a competitive person and I think some of it stems from childhood. My mom had a daycare and I was always competing for attention. Although I figured that out in my teens and have been taking steps to curb all sorts of issues that have come from it, I realize there's still more problems: instead of competing for my parents attention as a kid, now as an adult I'm competing with spiritual siblings before my heavenly father. I went from needing to be the kid who drew the best picture for mom to now having to be the best and smartest person in the room before God. v.v

But I know God doesn't care about how much knowledge one has but rather how much a person does with what they have. And self-righteousness isn't righteousness at all.

My competition is really more focused on people my own age, rather than those older or younger than me which I think goes back to the fact the daycare had kids within my age group.

When I was a teen I was easily jealous whenever my mom diverted her attention to other kids, to the point I would immediately hate any kid that my showered attention on. I thought I overcame that, but now I'm wondering if spiritual competition is just the advanced form of that jealousy. I don't want to hate anyone :'( But I'm not sure if I can honestly say I do or do not hate others.

 

[Rachel20]

“Give me a child until he is 7 and I will show you the man.”

― Aristotle, The Philosophy of Aristotle

Those early years do impact us, it's unavoidable I think being aware is key though. For me, it's lack of trust. I lost my father, experienced a major earthquake, received corporal punishment in school for something I didn't do, etc... and now I don't trust anything, even the ground I stand on. With the exception of the Lord.

 

[2PhiloVoid]

I'm not sure where to place this so I'm hoping this board is the correct place.

I'm faced with a fault of mine, stemming from pride, but I realized today, I'm spiritually competitive. When I'm corrected or someone knows more than me, especially if it's someone I feel particularly competitive too, I feel ashamed and I feel down. I want to be the one who understands and knows things. I have a problem with wanting preeminence, at least in regard to one person in particular.

Although verses come to my mind, such as he who is greatest among you is he who serves and esteem others better than yourself. I'd appreciate if others would bombard me with more scriptures for me to study or tell me anything you think I should hear / read.

Be honest; don't hold back. It might be hard for me, but just tell me like it is. I want to overcome this.

It might be that an eisegetical, triumphalistic misappropriation of 1 Co 13:1-2 is a part of the ongoing problem, especially if seen from the vantage point of Social Psychology.

My insinuation here is that whether or not a Christian is indeed being 'hotty-totty' is contingent upon a number of hermeneutical and epistemological factors that are all to often ignored (or simply not known about) by fellow Christians who think they "know better" than you.

So, are you guilty? Maybe, but it might not be the kind of guilt that some people want you to think it is. Rather, it may simply be that you're guilty of being human.

But hey! You're already aware of the 'problem' we all have and all have to work through...

 

[Lukaris]

Since you are requesting verses that take us to task I am not personally zinging you.

Matthew 23:11-12

 

[Rachel20]

It might be that an eisegetical, triumphalistic misappropriation of 1 Co 13:1-2 is a part of the ongoing problem ...

Someone once said, if you feel punched in the stomach, you probably were.

 

[SavedByGrace3]

Here is some humbling for you!

Philippians 2:5-8
5. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
6. Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
7. But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
8. And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

 

[2PhiloVoid]

Someone once said, if you feel punched in the stomach, you probably were.

My apologies if you feel that way. What I said above to Isaac was, admittedly, touched off by your quotation of Paul from 1 Cor., but my insinuated critique was not. That latter part was a dispersed comment, applicable to the Church on a wide scale on not necessarily to any one fellow Christian.

So, no Sis, take some heart--I wasn't targeting you with my comments. You merely reminded me that I've been aching to say something about this kind of thing for a very long time...

Have a blessed day!

 

[Rachel20]

My apologies if you feel that way. What I said above to Isaac was, admittedly, touched off by your quotation of Paul from 1 Cor., but my insinuated critique was not. That latter part was a dispersed comment, applicable to the Church on a wide scale on not necessarily to any one fellow Christian.

So, no Sis, take some heart--I wasn't targeting you with my comments. You merely reminded me that I've been aching to say something about this kind of thing for a very long time...

Have a blessed day!

Thank you for that. I'm curious now though - what have you been thinking about it for so long? Your comments seem purposefully cryptic, but I'd really like to know what's on your mind?

 

[Gregory Thompson]

I'm not sure where to place this so I'm hoping this board is the correct place.

I'm faced with a fault of mine, stemming from pride, but I realized today, I'm spiritually competitive. When I'm corrected or someone knows more than me, especially if it's someone I feel particularly competitive too, I feel ashamed and I feel down. I want to be the one who understands and knows things. I have a problem with wanting preeminence, at least in regard to one person in particular.

Although verses come to my mind, such as he who is greatest among you is he who serves and esteem others better than yourself. I'd appreciate if others would bombard me with more scriptures for me to study or tell me anything you think I should hear / read.

Be honest; don't hold back. It might be hard for me, but just tell me like it is. I want to overcome this.

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. (Philippians 2:3)

And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all. (Mark 9:35)

And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. (Mark 10:44)

"Stand up," he said, "I am only a man myself." Talking with him, Peter went inside and found a large gathering of people. He said to them: "You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with a Gentile or visit him. But God has shown me that I should not call any man impure or unclean. (Acts of the Apostles 10:26-28)

 

[2PhiloVoid]

I've always been a competitive person and I think some of it stems from childhood. My mom had a daycare and I was always competing for attention. Although I figured that out in my teens and have been taking steps to curb all sorts of issues that have come from it, I realize there's still more problems: instead of competing for my parents attention as a kid, now as an adult I'm competing with spiritual siblings before my heavenly father. I went from needing to be the kid who drew the best picture for mom to now having to be the best and smartest person in the room before God. v.v

But I know God doesn't care about how much knowledge one has but rather how much a person does with what they have. And self-righteousness isn't righteousness at all.

My competition is really more focused on people my own age, rather than those older or younger than me which I think goes back to the fact the daycare had kids within my age group.

When I was a teen I was easily jealous whenever my mom diverted her attention to other kids, to the point I would immediately hate any kid that my showered attention on. I thought I overcame that, but now I'm wondering if spiritual competition is just the advanced form of that jealousy. I don't want to hate anyone :'( But I'm not sure if I can honestly say I do or do not hate others.

Actually, God does care about us having the kind of knowledge that educates 'how' we handle the of our human knowledge, even our religious knowledge. That's the trick here, Isaac.

 

[2PhiloVoid]

Thank you for that. I'm curious now though - what have you been thinking about it for so long? Your comments seem purposefully cryptic, but I'd really like to know what's on your mind?

Ok. I'll be happy to discuss it with you. I'll get back to you later today and we can briefly chat about it.

 

[childeye 2]

I'm not sure where to place this so I'm hoping this board is the correct place.

I'm faced with a fault of mine, stemming from pride, but I realized today, I'm spiritually competitive. When I'm corrected or someone knows more than me, especially if it's someone I feel particularly competitive too, I feel ashamed and I feel down. I want to be the one who understands and knows things. I have a problem with wanting preeminence, at least in regard to one person in particular.

Although verses come to my mind, such as he who is greatest among you is he who serves and esteem others better than yourself. I'd appreciate if others would bombard me with more scriptures for me to study or tell me anything you think I should hear / read.

Be honest; don't hold back. It might be hard for me, but just tell me like it is. I want to overcome this.

What if every time God gave us great gifts, we began to lord them over others as if we had achieved them on our own? It's like the best gift God can give us, is a sincere thankfulness for any measure of His attributes, including being thankful for just being thankful.

 

[Benjamin Müller]

What if every time God gave us great gifts, we began to lord them over others as if we had achieved them on our own? It's like the best gift God can give us, is a sincere thankfulness for any measure of His attributes, including being thankful for just being thankful.

I was thinking along the same lines as this earlier, but you gave clarity to my disjointed musings.

 

[Benjamin Müller]

Actually, God does care about us having the kind of knowledge that educates 'how' we handle the of our human knowledge, even our religious knowledge. That's the trick here, Isaac.

There were Christians who were illiterate and knew a lot less than the Pharisees. It's the application of knowledge that makes a difference. If we memorized the Bible, but never walked as Christ walked, it would be worthless before God. If we only knew fragments, but applied those fragments to our daily lives, we would have more honor before God. All I was saying is being book-smart without application doesn't impress God.

 

[2PhiloVoid]

Thank you for that. I'm curious now though - what have you been thinking about it for so long? Your comments seem purposefully cryptic, but I'd really like to know what's on your mind?

Here, at the moment, is the short of it and in relation to what @Isaac Aldermann has expressed as a concern: it seems to me that too many Christians are quick on the draw to use 1 Cor. 13:1-2 in order to immediately quell what they think is an expressed malady of audaciousness or arrogance on the part of another person with whom disagreement is being had.

On one level, I agree with you, Rachel, that quoting Paul's to remind ourselves to pursue humility in love is at times called for. The problem is that I think it is all too often quoted not because some other fellow Christian is indeed being obnoxious and is in dire need of correction, but rather because a factional disagreement exists between two Christians and one of them seeks to immediately quash the heated and firm response from the other person who disagrees, or who insists that he has "an additional point to be made!" I think this is the purpose and context in which Paul originally made this injunction, particularly where the Corinthian church was concerned since it apparently had a number of factious people in it who wanted to trump other in asserting themselves.

Anyway, I realize that you meant to quote it in the way Paul intended it to be understood. Not everyone does this though, and I've been on the receiving end of its use from time to time, but not because I think I needed to hear it but because some folks don't like the fact that I'm educated. They take it as a threat to their own denominational understanding about our faith and thin I need to 'be reminded' and set in my place. It's that kind of use that I abhor---I see it as an insistance for "false humility," the humility that others would like me to abide by but not necessarily actual humility of faith and love that Jesus wants us to abide by.

What are your thoughts on this? I'd like to hear your feedback if you want.

 

[2PhiloVoid]

There were Christians who were illiterate and knew a lot less than the Pharisees. It's the application of knowledge that makes a difference. If we memorized the Bible, but never walked as Christ walked, it would be worthless before God. If we only knew fragments, but applied those fragments to our daily lives, we would have more honor before God. All I was saying is being book-smart without application doesn't impress God.

Yes, you're right about that I think. It's just that I want to equally emphasize with Paul that "zeal without [proper] knowledge" also doesn't impress God. That's all I'm trying to say. So, go easy on the self installed guilt. It's a matter of being mindful about one's purpose in Christ in relation to fellow Christians.