My husband said one of my best and worst trait is my competitive spirit. It is good because being competitive raises up the passion in me for giving extraordinary effort in everything and always strive to do better. But it is bad because I constantly feel the need to measure up with others. I will never forget the night my husband taught me to play poker for the very first time, I lost the game (duh obviously! I am a newbie!) and I was sooo upset. I said to my husband: why did you embarrass me (by winning)? Haha pathetic I know.
Competitiveness is a double-edged sword. It fuels us to achieve certain goal but it can run a fine line with jealousy. In a world full of perfectly curated lives displayed across social media, it is so easy to get wrapped up in what other people are doing and feel like you have to compete. Like recently in Instagram, I swear everyone is losing weight, everyone is holidaying in Japan, or everyone is pregnant. Hmm jealous!
The spirit of competitive jealousy is dangerous because we start comparing what we have with others and what we have suddenly feels small, inadequate, and not good enough. James 3:16 says “For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there.” Hidupku yang tadinya dirasa sangat terberkati dan berkelimpahan, I am healthy, my marriage is fine, I have a holiday coming up, kalau dicompare jadi berasa “kurang”. Comparison is indeed the thief of joy.
Now the new year is here, my mantra this year is to run my own race. Hebrews 12:1 says “Let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.” We each have a particular race which God has set before us personally. I can’t run anyone else’s race nor I can’t run the race I WISH I was running. God has a specific purpose and plan for each one of us.
Our Christian life is not a short sprint, it’s more like a marathon. Any runner will know that running a marathon requires great endurance, perseverance, and patience. So friends, whatever life throws at you this year, keep going and fix your eyes on Jesus, the ultimate example of faithful endurance.
Lastly, embrace your race. Run your race with joy: Celebrate your achievement, milestone, successes, count your own blessings! And don’t be too hard on yourself. It is okay to make mistake, it is okay to fail, it is okay to lose (hear hear!). Be patient, trust God and the process.
God Bless and Happy New Year.
AS.
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