GOAT

”We tend to view our lives as a playing field and not a battlefield.” Billy Graham

Who here doesn’t love a good win every once in awhile? It feels great to say I won, or throw down that last uno card, or just be the best YOU can be! Growing up an athlete, and with a sibling, a healthy competition was always a good thing, and it was viewed as just that, healthy. Everyone wants to be the next GOAT ( greatest of all time)! Competition is usually looked at as a way to build character, strength, and value. Aspects of that can be true. Nothing is wrong with wanting to be the best at something...right? What if that character we are building is not the character of Christ, but more a character of envy, malice, discontentment, and strife. What if we’re building roots of sin not roots grounded in Christ. A few years back the Lord really challenged my heart in the why I was competing. He challenged the motives behind my heart. Was it to build my character to be more like Him, or to be something the world says is better?

“And he said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭16:15‬ ‭

When I really started my walk with The Lord I wanted to do anything and everything for Him. My spirit was on fire, willing, and ready to go no matter the cost. Never once had it crossed my mind that my willingness to do for The Lord could turn into a heart of competition. This didn’t soley have to be toward brothers or sisters in Christ, but also people of the world. My view of their “life“ or “walk” gave me a spirit of envy, and really started to spur me to want to do more things for God. It did not matter if I felt called to something or not, I felt that the more I was willing and able to do for Him the ”better” I was. Not because I could do better than anyone, but I started viewing my relationship with Christ as a works relationship. How could wanting to serve the Lord more be a bad thing? It showed drive, initiative, and isn’t that what we are “told” is great character?! Without even recognizing it within me, I was having competition not only with myself, but my brothers and sisters in Christ as well, which is a sin. There was always a feeling of needing to do more or be more, even in the secular world standards. Not only should I have this amazing Christian home, but it also should look and be like the “Joneses”. I was not content. Discontentment was growing in me and truly meant that I was not thankful for where God had me or what He blessed me with. No matter what, whether in ministry, home, or self I always felt there was more I could be doing. What was missing was contentment in Christ. There was no longer an abiding in Christ, but more of Lindsay running the the show.

“But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. For each will have to bear his own load.”

‭‭Galatians‬ ‭6:4-5‬ ‭

“Then I saw that all toil and all skill in work come from a man's envy of his neighbor. This also is vanity and a striving after wind. The fool folds his hands and eats his own flesh. Better is a handful of quietness than two hands full of toil and a striving after wind.”

‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭4:4-6‬ ‭

“And he said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭16:15‬ ‭

Competition in our walk with Christ can run a very fine line. This blog could be a book as competition is usually just a branch off a larger root. This is about my personal walk though , and I do challenge my readers to go to God, seek Him, and personally allow Him to show you where you may have a sin of competition. We tend to compete with our spouses, co workers, friends, our own children, but mostly it’s with ourself. Are we trying to live out those characteristics in the fruits of the spirit, or are others seeing a spirit of competition? My self evaluation through Gods lens showed me that I personally could not be in both competition and live in fruit of spirit. It was not possible to do both for me. There was a tendency in me to get envious or jealous of how God is using someone without even thanking Him for how He's using us. Again, this is about me, my walk, and I’m still learning how to be content with much and with little, in seasons and storms. The more we abide in Him, and less in the world, the less we will need compete for anything. He is our source of contentment. Let’s just look at Jesus’ walk. Did He compete with the Pharisees? No! Instead He left them without having to “prove” anything. He KNEW who He was! He had every reason and ability to prove himself and WIN. He just abided in His fathers calling on His life. Can we say that? Are we humble enough to just be content with not needing to prove or win? Are we that strong in our relationship with God? Or do we need to always prove something, even if to just ourself?

“And the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and to test him they asked him to show them a sign from heaven. He answered them, "When it is evening, you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.' And in the morning, 'It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.' You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah." So he left them and departed.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭16:1-4‬ ‭

As believers if we focused, and did Gods will more, and not on what others may or may not even being doing, imagine how Gods kingdom would and could flourish! Everyone would be using their own spiritual gifts instead of working outside of their calling. Unfortunately, that’s normally not the case and instead of being ambassadors for Christ we end up being competitors. We do, however, need to realize there is a competition to win, and it’s not with anything of this world. We need to kill our old nature, beat it, and become more like Christ. We should realize the battle isn’t of flesh and bone, but of mind and spirit. Seek God continually and He will guide you, compete for you, and challenge your heart. Let Him be your coach.

“But go, act, be strong for the battle. Why should you suppose that God will cast you down before the enemy? For God has power to help or to cast down.”

‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭25:8‬ ‭

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭12:2‬ ‭

In closing, this is still a death to self sin that happens a lot in my walk. We play a ton of games in our family and I still am learning to be ok at losing. No really! It may sound funny to some, but it’s just one of the many sins I have. There are days I think I don’t do enough for God, my worth hits a low, but now I seek Him to speak truth to me. God is just asking us to abide more in Him. Allow Jesus to compete for us. There is so much more to say about competition. There is a so many branches that stem off competition. Discontentment and worth are just scratching the surface of a bigger stem. This isn’t a blog telling you to never play games, shoot hoops, serve in ministry, or even not to compete in things. My point is to ask yourself, where is my heart in this? Please seek the Lord and allow Him to transform your mind and renew your spirit. There is no real competition when we all just abide in Gods will. God doesn’t want to compete with us, but complete us.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭12:1‬ ‭

Prayer for today:

Father God we compete with you more than we could even imagine. Anytime we “do” or “act” in our free will is an act of competition with your plan. Lord challenge my heart to continue to weed out those weeds of discontentment in me Lord. Please continue to push me to compete with killing my old nature. Help me Lord be humble, kind, and selfless to anyone who’s know my past of competition. May they see you as the number 1 in my life. Lord transform our minds in a world so centered on ourselves. Change our hearts to want to abide not compete. Father God give us strength in areas that you are refining us into the competitor you need us to be for your kingdom. Lord, as brother and sisters in Christ help us not compete with each other, but encourage and build up. Let us enjoy each others spiritual gifts, not be jealous. Let us love like you Lord. Humble us Lord, truly humble us! I love you Lord and praise you for the way you challenge our growth! Thank you for loving me where I am at! Amen

By His Grace,

Lindsay Storm