Develop a Sense of Competition
- Category: Gospel Truth
- Date 10-04-2016
- 326 views
A saying teaches: competition is the whetstone of talent. Long ago, almost every home had a stone which was used in sharpening household tools such as spears, knives, axes and pangas. This is the ‘whetstone’. Like cutting objects, people also need sharpening, not with whetstones, but by other people. King Solomon says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another” (Proverbs 27:17).
A person can be sharpened in different ways such as teaching, mentoring, internship, reading, interaction or invention of a new idea or product. Yet, the saying above suggests that competition is perhaps the chief sharpener of human beings. What it does to a person is similar to what a whetstone does to a blunt object.
Competition is the process of trying to get a thing which someone else is also trying to get. It occurs in all areas of life. In competition, a person is aware of the presence and intentions of other contenders and hence, works hard to win the contest. St Paul says, “Do you not know that in a race, all the runners run, but only one gets the prize?” (1 Corinthians 9:24).
Naturally, everyone dreams of being the best in a certain field. Yet, there are many other people with similar interests, so competition becomes necessary. As you compete, however, you must not trample on other people. Each of the disciples of Jesus Christ quietly strove to be the most recognised in their team. One day, they argued about who, among them, was the most important. To settle the argument, Jesus told them, “…… the one who is found to be the least among you is the greatest” (Luke 9:46-48).
This does not mean that one should not work hard to excel. Everyone should strive to win. Do not enter a competition only for the sake of participating. Every student should aim at scoring the highest mark. Every politician should aim at attracting the majority of voters. Every business entity should aim at being the preferred service provider. St Paul further advises, “Run in such a way as to get the prize.” (1 Corinthians 9:25a).
Every episode in life should be a training for a future competition. What you experience today - a social event, a family chore, a job promotion, an act of charity, a debt recovery, a tiresome trip, a conflict, an unusual sight or a new acquisition - provides a basis for superior actions in future. It should help you to notice and improve the weak spots within, since as they say, success comes when an average person attains beyond-average accomplishments. It is hard to excel in a competition without preparation, “Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training” (1 Corinthians 9:25b).
Deploy meaningful effort in order to compete effectively. Do not relax because life is one endless arena of competition. To be successful, be ready to meet stiffer competition from time to time. A prophet lamented about the endless challenges he met in his ministry and asked God for a solution. God would not make a donation! He reminded him, “If you get tired when running with men on foot, how will you compete with horses?” (Jeremiah 12:5).
It may be easy to win a competition but it is difficult to remain on top because your success can never stop other people’s desire to achieve or surpass your level. When they left their relatives, homes and property to follow Jesus, the disciples knew that their peers who remained behind had more comfortable lives. Jesus reminded them, however, that such was not a permanent status because “…… many who are first will be last; and the last, first” (Matthew 19:29-30).
Some people fear competition too much. Someone sweats, panics, loses sleep, gets ulcers, stumbles where there is no obstacle, forgets basic details or stammers unnecessarily. Being nervous does not help; rather it undermines a person’s chances of winning the contest. The best thing is to develop a conscious sense of competition which is likely to inspire one to become confident when facing any form of challenge. Confidence does not guarantee that one is going to win; it only enables the person to perform to the best of his ability. In contrast, lack of confidence makes a person disorganised, which explains why a student remembers the right answers after leaving the examination room, a jobseeker remembers a crucial piece of his profile after the interview, a dancer remembers the best strokes when already off the stage and a debater remembers the winning statement after leaving the podium.
It is satisfying to compete in a situation where the rules of the game are clear and fairly enforced. Fairness occurs when both the competitors and observers feel and see that the same rules and conditions are applied to all the sides participating. This is healthy competition which brings progress and fulfilment to all the participants. In a genuine competition, all are treated justly so that the winner is appreciated even by his rivals. For example, when school examinations results are displayed, students who have scored low marks rarely ever criticise classmates with high scores. In most soccer matches, losers may shed tears but rarely condemn the winners because rules are upheld.
In a fake competition, the rules are tilted in favour of some participants in order to put others at disadvantage. An umpire or a contender might use malice to upset the opportunities of some competitors. This has been the case during elections in Uganda and other countries where democracy is absent. Winning a competition unfairly neither gives inward joy nor improves your public image. St Paul says, “…… anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor’s crown except by competing according to the rules” (2 Timothy 2:5).
Venansio Ahabwe is a lay Christian from the Archdiocese of Mbarara
By Venansio Ahabwe
Source: Gospel Truth, Leadership Magazine