Matthew 5:9 - HEB, Texas Rangers, and Norm.

"You are blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That's when you discover who you really are, and your place in God's family."
Matthew 5:9

Amanda -1
Lady at the grocery store who I was competing against in shopping cart racing (without her knowledge) - 0

"Friend" i was trying to avoid at coffee establishment - 1
Amanda using her stealth ninja avoidance skills - 0

Amanda - 1
Norm - 0
(This was a race to see who could make it down the hallway faster.... let it be known that my cat Norm through down the challenge... and I had to accept)

As you can tell by reading these stats... I am a fierce competitor. Life is a competition with me.. ALWAYS a competition.

So imagine my surprise when I read this scripture.

Not gonna lie.. this is how I read this scripture the first time today..
"You are blessed when you can show people how to COOPERATE instead of compete or FIGHT. That's when you (and by you i mean everybody else but myself) discover who you (not me) really are, and your (not my) place in God's family."

I then formulated a plan of action to somehow NOT make this a message about competition and rather about cooperation and fighting. I figured with my advanced writing and avoidance skills (don't let the above scoreboard fool you.. I am a champion avoider) I could somehow blog and fool your mind into not reading the word compete.

Then I instantly thought about the Texas Rangers play off turning point in my life.

I discovered a whole new side of myself while watching the Texas Rangers play the New York Yankees. Apparently I went from being a relatively civil and kind hearted youth minister... to a rough around the edges cursing like a sailor rage machine. Praise the Lord I was in the privacy of my own home when this Hulk-like transformation took place... but none the less... it was frightening.

I was yelling at the TV, screaming out words my Nana would be ashamed of, and cheering at any sight of injury or struggle that the other team showed.

Who was this person I had become.

Fast forward to today.
Reading this scripture a second time... here is what I read...
"You are blessed when you can SHOW people how to cooperate instead of COMPETE or fight. That's when you discover WHO YOU really are, and YOUR PLACE in God's family."
Matthew 5:9

You see when you really think about cooperation and fighting.. you can't help but think of competing. Who is winning the fight you are having? Was that verbal punch I just threw good enough to advance me to the next level? Did that text I just send or passive-aggressive email or Facebook posting allow me to have an upper hand in that relationship? Did I just prove that I was the bigger person by cooperating?

We receive blessings when we show people who we are in God's family. When we treat others as a part of God's family. A little less talk and a lot more action. (I am pretty sure that is not what Toby Keith had in mind for that lyric... but just go with it).

I find that I am most competitive with the people I know the least. The less I know about their heart and the core of who they are the easier it is do dehumanize them and think of myself as better than them.

Lets be real.. life is full of competition... I am going to go to a varsity volleyball play off game in an hour....
Its unrealistic to say that we should all think of ourselves as equal and do away with all sports, grading systems, awards ceremonies, and all other competitions.

What is realistic is changing the way we think about competitions and our competitors.. and basically everybody we come in contact with.

Galatians 6:9-10 tells us:
9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

Yikes!

That means the poor lady that had no idea she was taking part in the very first HEB 500 Grocery Cart race, my "friend" who I have grown a part from because of conflict and thus tried to avoid in a coffee shop, and all of the New York Yankees (even the over paid and over hyped players) - ALL of them belong to the family of believers.

We need to realize who we are fighting and what our actions (or words) are showing others.

I would love to believe that each game, fight, argument, or time that I was the "bigger person" would be kept in some heavenly scoreboard.. but the reality is God doesn't care who wins.. he cares who LOVES.

Its all about our focus.

This scripture gave me way too much to think about.....
Please join me in thinking about ways to become weary from doing good.