Stay in your lane

From the playground to adult life, we see a similar pattern human behavior. There is a need to feel better than others, a need to feel superior and ahead of the game. Why? Why can't we each just stay in our lane and be content with the pace we are each going? Because competition, at its core, is usually fueled by pride and humans can be VERY prideful.

I've faced this reality from a young age. Females in particular seem particularly prone to entering the "race" from the time they are preteens and into adulthood. The world we live in is a dog-eat-dog, fend-for-yourself world. We see it in the workplace, we see it in school, heck.. my husband tells me law school can be this way... There's a level of competition; a need to be better than the guy next to you. Competition in itself is not a bad thing but the need to win that supersedes treating other humans with respect, is sinful and evil.

When we need to step on other people, attempt to make them feel small in order to climb up the ladder, we have a problem. That problem is pride. We think much too highly of ourselves. But even deeper than that is insecurity. Yep, sounds contradictory, but it's not. An individual who needs to belittle others in order to temporarily boost their own self-esteem is the most insecure type of person.

What is the solution?

Look to Jesus.

Even though he is the "heir of all things", he "upholds the universe by the word of his power", and sits "at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels" (Hebrews1:1-4) EVEN THOUGH he could have rescued the world on a white horse, with shining armor and a sword, he chose to humble himself and become the lowest of the low.

"You made him for a little while lower than the angels" (Hebrews 2:7)
"Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things..." (Hebrews 2:14)
"Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect..." (Hebrews 2:17)
"And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." (Phil 2:8)

Jesus became the lowest possible shame. He did it so that he could save us. He died the death we should have died. He took each blow for our good. He was publicly humiliated so that we could be set free. 

Do you see how backwards this all sounds compared to the world we live in? It is all so counterintuitive. There are three things we need to do:

1) Be like Jesus. 

"He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:30)

When we stand before our holy God, we simultaneously shrink while God's greatness becomes apparent. We fall down at his feet and discover just how small and undeserved we are to receive his grace and just how big and holy he is!

2) Remember who you are in the Lord. 

"But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:4-10)

Christian, you are his. Jesus paid the ultimate price so that you can be "alive together with Christ... seated with him in heavenly places" 

At the same time, we cannot take credit for our inheritance... It was given to us by grace. That's pretty humbling isn't it? It removes the need to boast in anything we have and give glory to God alone. 

3) Exit the jail cell. Your chains have been broken.

"...that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery." (Hebrews 2:14-15) 

"For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him." (Romans 8:15-17)

You have been given freedom. You are no longer bound to a life of cut-throat competition. You are free! Don't stay enslaved to man; you are now a servant of Christ.

"For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ." Galatians 1:10

So remember these truths when others are waving their accomplishments in your face, expecting you to react. With Christ, you can genuinely be happy for someone else without the need to compete. With Christ, another person's accomplishments and status won't affect your value/happiness one bit. With Christ, we can be genuinely humble, the lowest of the low, receiving shame and ridicule and it won't matter because we are heirs with Him in the heavenly places. We rejoice in our sufferings. Our chains have been broken. We are no longer bound to the opinion of man. 

I'll leave you with one of my favorite movie scenes from the movie "Prefontaine" ("Without Limits" is better lol): 

The University of Oregon's cross country team is out on a morning run. World class runner, Steve Prefontaine begins to pick up the pace, moving to the front of the pack, and one fellow teammate starts to race him. The disgruntled teammate yells, "Hey! Racing isn't allowed during practice!" and Prefontaine responds calmly, "Then don't race me..." 

If you don't want a competition. Don't compete. :) You don't need to anyways... Christ is enough. Stay in your lane.

xoxo, A Law Student's Wife.