Outdo one another in showing honor.
- Romans 12:10
It is natural to compare and compete. It is natural. And it is very often unhealthy.
I am not referring to athletic competition or sales incentives at the workplace, etc. Nor am I talking about going for the throat in Monopoly on family game night. Obviously there is healthy and fun competition. So let's move on from there.
I am talking about competition that arises from comparison. Jesus said, "The thief comes to kill, to steal, and to destroy…" (John 10:10). And we set ourselves up to have our joy stolen when we choose to compare ourselves to others.
Comparison creates a false measure that causes us to fall into either self-righteousness or despair. (We can always find those with whom we feel we measure up favorably and those with whom we cannot.)
That said, Paul does challenge us into competition in one area - showing honor. As a matter of fact, he exhorts us to "outdo one another." This is not comparison. It is humility in action.
Showing honor should not be false, and can only be faked for so long. Here is the rub; to truly show honor to another, we must be comfortable with our own identity. When we know who we are in Christ, when we are solid in our identity as beloved children who are being transformed into his image; we are no longer threatened when others shine. As a matter of fact, we are most like Christ when we help others shine - when we take the spotlight and point it toward them.
We never shine so brightly as when we humbly illuminate others.
Shine the light of Christ.
God, shine your light through me to illuminate others.
For now...
D
