Competition Can Be Healthy or Destructive

On July 29, 1955, the United States announced plans to put satellites in space. The Soviet Union soon announced the same thing, and the race was on. The Soviets would launch their first satellite, called Sputnik, and propel the first human, Yuri Gararin, into space. The race continued, and on July 20,1969, Neil Armstong’s “giant leap for mankind” on the surface of the moon would end the competition to put a man on the moon.

Cooperation eventually dawned and decades later, the International Space Station (ISS) became a reality. This ISS is manned by the United States, Russia, Canada, Japan and the European Space Agency. Countries that were previously competing against each other now work together. This serves as a reminder that we are “coworkers in God’s service.”

Sometimes competition is healthy, and sometimes it is destructive. In I Corinthians 3:1, Paul addresses his listeners, “I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit.” He called them “mere infants in Christ.” Paul describes how church members were aligning themselves with various leaders of the church, including Apollos, Peter and himself. In verse 13 Paul asks, “Is Christ divided?” Paul says to live by the spirit of Christ, who binds us in loving unity and asks, “What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul?” Verse 5 says – “only servants, through whom you came to believe.” Paul is saying that what is important is to live by the Spirit of Christ, which binds us in loving unity.

I Corinthians 3:7 says, “Neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.” Verse 9 concludes “for we are coworkers.” We are coworkers – not competitors. Through God’s empowering and His guidance, we can serve together as fellow workers. We can serve together to advance the message of Jesus, for His honor rather than our own.

Prayer – Loving God, we thank you for the privilege of serving You. Teach us how to honor You and help others. Amen.

I Corinthians 3:9 – “For we are coworkers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.”

By the Rev. Tommy Herndon
Images: NASA, NASA & Bernd Dittrich, courtesy of Unsplash