When it comes to competitiveness, I am a bit of a paradox I'm afraid. Never being athletically inclined, there are many areas of my life where I really lack any spirit of competition. I would not say I am to the point of apathy or giving up but I just don't care who "wins". But, I have to admit, there is another side of me that likes to have any points I make or thoughts I have be correct. I won't necessarily get into arguments with others because I really don't see much point in it when I believe that neither of us will change our mind. (Of course, sometimes, that lapses into a situation where I acquiesce to their opinion, "knowing" in my mind that sometime they will come around and see how I was right all along -- yeah, right!) Generally, though, I will try to speak very authoritatively, explain my point a hundred different ways, and hope no one questions it. That is perhaps not my finest quality.

As I age, though, I think I am perhaps having brighter moments when I push aside my desire to be right. I hope I am getting better. I had some moments this past week when I really got to sit back, listen to what others had to say, and then revel in their success. We had some solid discussion of mutual respect but nothing could have made me feel better than to see their performance and their success. Despite the paradox within me, I truly take great pleasure in the success of others. There is huge joy in seeing others work hard and do well.

If you've gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care— then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don't push your way to the front; don't sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don't be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand.

Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn't think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn't claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion. (Philippians 2:1-8 MSG)

In the end, God has made it very simple for us -- there is only One whose judgment we need worry about. It's all about Him, not about our selves.