John and his Harley D met me and my Goldwing at the 76 station, destination west to the mountains and coast. Ironically, winter gives the best riding in SoCal. Winter rains turn the golden hills of CA (insert dead grass here) into lush and green wild grasses. Our route: take Rancho California Rd as it enters the mountains, join De Luz road where the creek crosses seven times. Well, that happens in wet years. This one is wet enough to bring the green, but not much water. Oaks and horse ranches and hills slowed us down enough to enjoy the view, the bikes kept us moving at a good pace where we could enjoy the marriage of road, rider, and bike. We may have left the ages of high testosterone and sport bikes, but no one passed us.
About ten miles in, the trees opened up enough to show a quick glimpse of what looked to be another bike, only to be just as quickly hidden. Instinctively, I cranked the throttle to catch him. I love speed and competition, but our pace let us enjoy the route and I backed off. More glimpses let me know we slowly closed the gap, and I smiled.
As we approached the merging of a road the trees opened up, only 50 yards separated us. I smiled again, but this time, he noticed us. The trees and curves blocked our view for a while, then I saw maybe 100 yards ahead. No biker in sight, no place to turn off.
I felt proud I fought off the temptation to not race, he likely felt proud that two old guys didn’t pass him.
In a bitter lesson, oft-repeated, I’ve discovered competition can both tempt and test me. In my earlier years, winning competitions supported my frail ego strength, which caused unhealthy and selfish relationships—temptations. But I like the chance to challenge myself, to push my limits, to stretch them—tests. One bad, one good. But what does God say about this?
Being competitive by nature and being a follower of Jesus, I figured I should discover how they relate. The best passage, “outdo one another in showing honor” (Romans 12:10, NRSV). Hmmm. Compete with one another. Not by showing you’re better, but who can best value and respect the other. Gosh, we need this today, don’t we? Now, what does it mean to show honor? Let’s look at the context, verses 10-20, of the commands Paul gave. No commentary, just God’s words on how to compete.
10: love one another with mutual affection
13: contribute to the needs of the saints
13: extend hospitality to strangers.
14: bless those who persecute you
15: rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep
16: live in harmony with one another
16: associate with the lowly
16: do not claim to be wiser than you are
17: do not repay anyone evil for evil
18: so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all
Kick Starting the Application
How competitive are you? What general areas do you most and least compete in? Why? Have you ever considered godly competition? Of the list of commands associated with competing to show honor, which can you take godly pride in? Which do you most need to work on? What practical steps can you take this week
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