Real Relationships are based on
Cooperation,
as opposed to Competition.
Competition is a form of Cancer in the Soul of Mankind
Now let’s see if we can prove that statement…
Mankind was not designed to live in competition, but in cooperation.
God’s Life = cooperation
Man’s Life = competition
Competition Creates Strife
Competition creates strife, human hierarchy, and human domination due to perverting the resources of power and control. Competition runs on the need to control and manipulate others. It seeks to conquer and enslave individuals.
Remember the little competition sponsored by the Philistines who were hosting the Israelites. Remember Little David, and Big Goliath. Remember what was at stake? That competition engaged its audience’s attention over 2,000 years ago, but these kinds of competitions were common. Even among neighbors that knew each other well. They could have been engaging in mutual beneficial human cooperation projects that would have served both neighbors greatly, but instead they entered into deadly life threatening competitions, for fun, and to prove their right dominate one another.
Competition engenders the inferiority-superiority complex. It often uses peer pressure rather effectively to get individuals to participate, who would otherwise steer clear of such unhealthy pursuits.
Many children become damaged for a lifetime–simply by participating in public school sponsored athletic competition: damaged physically, mentality, emotionally, and socially.
Competition is socially addictive, especially violent competition. Remember the Coliseum in Rome, the gladiators, the martyrs, the men, women and children, eaten by lions, for the pleasure, titillation, and entertainment of the Roman citizens?
Competition creates an economy that sorts people into hierarchies, creating a carnal pecking order, with the Bullies, Scammers, Cons, Politicians, Lawyers, and Liars at the Top, and the non-violent, non-threatening, peace keeping individuals at the bottom. (Genesis 6, is a classic example of Man’s Kind of Competition and Domination gone awry.
As I see it, if God didn’t step in and put a stop to the wicked domination and evil competition, no non-violent, non-threatening, kind, generous, compassionate, truthful, honest, hard working, individual would have likely survived. Such was the force of evil competition in it’s full strength. Similar to the Gladiators in Roman. That could be the poster child for Competition gone awry.
Cooperation Creates Harmony
Cooperation creates harmony, compassionate families, submission due to godly admiration and social honor. It runs on the desire to serve, honor, and protect others. It lives in Submission to God first and God’s Authority placed in man second. It seeks to nurture and relate, help and encourage, strengthen and fulfill the human calling to be compassionate, and be like God in serving others.
To see a real life transforming example of Godly Cooperation, and to see what godly Real Relationships look like in the Kingdom of God, Read Acts chapter 1 through 5. (You can start here: Acts 1:1)
|
Cooperation creates: |
Competition creates |
| —harmony |
—strife (jealousy, envy) |
|
—family (value based on internal worth) |
—hierarchy (ladder of success) |
|
—submission |
—domination |
|
Cooperation runs on: |
Competition runs on: |
|
—generosity |
—greed |
| —selflessness |
—selfishness |
|
—the desire to serve and protect others |
—the need to control and manipulate others |
|
Cooperation stimulates: |
Competition stimulates: |
|
—Humility |
—Pride |
| —adoration of others | —adoration of self |
| —contentment |
—discontent |
| —others focused | —self focused |
| —compassion towards others (care) |
—indifference towards others (apathy) |
|
Cooperation is based on: |
Competition is based on: |
| —being righteous |
—being shrewd |
| —truth |
—error (lies) |
| —justice |
—inequality |
|
—eternal relationships |
—temporal relationships |
|
—true acceptance |
—true prejudice |
|
—inclusion |
—exclusion |
|
Cooperation leads to: |
Competition leads to: |
|
—Selfless Giving —Patience |
—Selfish Taking —Violence |
| —Forgiveness | —Retribution |
| —Satisfaction | —Agitation |
|
—Community involvement |
—Seclusion |
| —Caring for Others | — Caring for Self |
Sports Competition: Exalts the individual. Praises the Superiority of the Self. Creates an environment of dissatisfaction, an attitude of “us over them.” “I am better than you.” Chooses discontent and agitation over acceptance and true tolerance. It is the basis for: the Bully Mentality, The Elitist Mentality, The Slave Owner Mentality, The Conqueror Mentality, the fake Prince and Princess fantasy, and the “I deserve the Best” Ideology. These are just a few of the most corrupting cancerous influences we ignorantly feed our innocent children. Competition is the foundation of modern education. These cancers are supported by Evolutionary Theory and Atheism. These influences are in direct opposition to God’s Word, God’s Laws, God’s Ways, God’s Life, and the Life Message given to us from His Messiah.
Without repentance from and rejection of these influences:
How can a man or woman walk in agreement with God?