Super Tuesday was a day to remember! Rivals worked hard to persuade voters not to vote for their opponents. Slander, misinformation, and distraction were the tools each candidate used against their rival. The quiet candidates that focused inwardly did not make many gains. Rivals tend to get under our skin. They help the better version of ourselves come out.
In sports, rivalry week is one of the most loved and feared times of the year. It is loved because it doesn’t seem to matter which team is the favorite and which is the underdog; either team could win. It is feared because fans and players are likely to do something crazy which could result in injury, defamation of character (for the team or the person), or destruction of property. The tension is high; the mood is filled with excitement. Some rivalries are tenser than others because the teams are very close to each other; it might be a division in the town. A University of Alabama football fan poisoned Auburn University’s Toomer’s Corner oak tree. Rivalries can cause terrible violence to break out. Soccer is notorious for stampedes following a loss, whether caused by officiating or not. But in some cases, rivalries bring out the best in us….Merseyside Derby. The match between Everton and Liverpool has been played annually since the 1963 season. The two have played 118+ matches. And to make matters even edgier, the stadiums are a mile apart. This rivalry has the perfect ingredients for disaster. Yet, this derby houses a unique atmosphere. Fans are scattered throughout the stadium. A red Liverpool jersey might be next to a blue Everton jersey. Families might be divided. You might see fans of opposite teams celebrating together or fans helping each other get to their seats. The rivalry is big, but the animosity is small. The fans have figured out a way to co-exist, to support each other and their respective teams. You see rivalry does not have to bring out the prideful side of our character. We can be different, be loyal, and be friends. Rivals do not make us suddenly demon possessed. Rivals should drive us to be the best versions of ourselves, to become the greatest at whatever we are trying to accomplish. Kyle Idleman in Gods at War uses Luke 10:40-42 to illustrate a point: God is in control not us. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed – or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” Martha couldn’t understand why Mary was getting all of Jesus’ attention. Surely Martha deserved the attention as she was toiling away for Jesus. She was the better person; she was making sure Jesus had all He needed. She was frustrated that her efforts were not getting the results she wanted. Martha became jealous of Mary. Rivals can do that to us, but the power does not lay in the hands of the rival, it is in our own hands. We have decided that our goals/objectives are more important. And when we don’t reach them, we become bitter. We develop the following attitudes:
Jesus says that we are not using the correct criterion with which to judge success. Whether we win or lose in our match, or out perform a rival, or out work a colleague, does not determine success. Success is determined by our commitment to Jesus Christ. Do we have our eyes on Christ? Or is our focus on some other goal that is not aligned with Christ? Idleman asked his readers to spend a day trying to praise their rivals. I ask you to do same. Turn your focus to the directives of Christ and find some way to praise your rivals. Turn the bitter rivalry into the Merseyside Derby and embrace the rival. Work hard. Try to win. But do so with an attitude that congratulates the victor and is proud of what is accomplished. We are trying to reach people with message of Christ through whatever venue. |
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