The breath of the January afternoon is cold on the back of my neck.  I shiver and burrow my hands deeper into my coat pockets.

It’s no wonder I’m chilly, because I’m sitting cross-legged on the ground, among the silver stubble of dry grass.  I’m tucked next to the side of a large bush, so close that its branches arch over my head.  The cold becomes more and more insistent, but I’m determined to stay as long as I can to watch a well-loved spectacle—a pageantry of the natural world—the birds who visit my backyard.

My current position gives me an excellent view of the birdfeeders I’ve hung.  I provide several kinds, each offering a specialized food, and as a result, I see great variety in the types of birds who come.  There are tube feeders of sunflower seeds, the bread-and-butter staple of most bird species in my area—the cardinals enjoy feeding directly from the feeder, while the doves, juncos, and sparrows will happily eat the seeds that fall to the ground.  There’s a round “hopper” feeder full of safflower, small white seeds that are especially prized by the winter finches that flock down from the boreal forest—purple finches, house finches, pine siskins.  The small yellow feeder holds thistle, or Nyjer, seed—always a popular option on the menu of goldfinches.  And my wooden feeder offers the sticky delicacy of suet, a high-energy treat that birds such as woodpeckers, nuthatches, and chickadees crave. 

And the birds are enjoying my offering.  In the overhanging branches above my head, juncos are twittering, white tail feathers flashing.  A squadron of sparrows is hopping about importantly at the fringes of the landscaping, seeking seeds.  Goldfinches, wearing their tawny winter attire, swing on the Nyjer feeder.  A red-bellied woodpecker clacks its beak importantly, then swoops to the suet in a black-and-white swirl.    

And here, against the bush, I’m a part of the landscape, one with the winter world, and I have a front-row seat to watch the flurry of feathers.  It brings me a joy I can’t describe, a peace that seems to soothe all the frazzled edges of my soul.  

Unfortunately, however, this pleasant sight is disturbed all too often.  You see, my birds don’t always eat peacefully.  Frequently, they drift into something that’s the opposite of this peaceful scene—competition.  

In their minds, the food is a precious resource—one they’re determined to guard.  As long as just one bird is on a feeder, tranquility reigns.  But as soon as another bird tries to land, calm turns to competition.  The established bird will employ a variety of tactics to intimidate the newcomer, from fluttering angrily in his face until he’s forced to retreat, to driving him away from the feeder perches, to even attacking him outright with fierce pecks.  Occasionally, some birds will even perch above the feeders and wait for extended periods of time, systematically dive-bombing other birds to guard the food.  Most ridiculous of all is the fact that the birds will actually utilize these strategies even if the other bird is not bothering them in any way.  If a newcomer lands on a port on the opposite side of the feeder, the established bird will still go into attack mode—as though the other bird might have found a “better” spot!

And from my perspective, this behavior is useless, because there’s absolutely no need for this competition.  One perch on the feeder is not better than another—they all have access to the same seed.  There’s no need to worry about scarcity—the feeders are full, and even when they begin to dwindle, they will be easily refilled from the bags of seed in our garage.  And of course, ironically, the competition often robs the birds of the very resource they’re guarding, because they end up fighting to the point that they don’t even have the chance to eat the food.  

So yes, it makes me sad to see the birds competing with each other.  And as I watch, I sometimes wonder if God feels the same way about us. 

You don’t have to hang a birdfeeder to know that we live in an extremely competitive world—a world where we’re told at every turn to get ahead, do the best, make the most, outpace the rest.  And certainly, there’s nothing wrong with having high aspirations or a drive for excellence.  The problem occurs when we stop looking up and start looking out—when we no longer measure progress by God’s standards of growth but by how many goals we’ve attained in relation to the people around us.  When we apply this mindset, there are often disastrous results. 

I’m reminded of Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 12:  “Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed….Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone” (verses 1, 4-6 ESV).  It seems that believers in the Corinthian church were becoming bogged down in comparing each other’s spiritual gifts.  The result was that this church was being racked by a competitive spirit that was carving a rift between the believers and undermining their witness in the world.  Much like my feeder birds, these Christians were focusing on imaginary distinctions and needless competition.  However, Paul’s response spoke truth into their situation—and into ours as well. 

First, Paul reminded these believers that no gift is superior.  “To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good” (v. 7 ESV).  Just as all the birdfeeder ports have identical access to the seed, each gift reflects God equally—coming from His grace and raising high His glory.  God has hand-selected every detail of our lives—whether that be our appearance, our talents, our likes and dislikes, or the timing of His plans for us—to align with His calling on our lives.  There’s no need to covet someone else’s accomplishments or qualities when the unique gifting of every believer radiates God’s goodness in equal measure.  

Second, Paul explains to these believers that God’s resources are inexhaustible.  I’m reminded of the words of Lysa TerKeurst:  “The Enemy’s lie [is] that everything is scarce.  Scarce opportunities.  Scarce supply.  Scarce possibilities.  And we start seeing another person’s creations as a threat to our own opportunities.”  Like the birds on the feeders, we can start to live as if God’s grace is finite, and the more it is distributed to others, the less there will be for us.  However, Lysa concludes with this truth:  “[Another’s] success does not threaten yours, nor mine.  When [other believers do] well, we all do well.  All tides rise when we see [a fellow believer] making this world a better place with [their] gifts.”  Just as I have plenty of seed to offer my birds, God has limitless grace to lavish on us.  Why would we be threatened by His generosity in the lives of others when He stands ready to overflow His Presence in our lives as well? 

And lastly, Paul reminded these believers of the main goal of their lives:  “Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it” (v. 27 ESV).  Like the birds on my feeders, these believers had become so focused on competing with each other that the very point of the gifts and blessings God had given them—His glory and their growth—was forgotten.  When we allow competition to distract and divide us, pulling our focus away from God, we’re only worshipping ourselves.  We must consciously choose to shift our focus away from the crowd and onto the cross—prioritizing the “one Lord, one faith, one baptism” that binds us all together (Ephesians 4:5 ESV).   

How quick we are to forget this principle.  How eager our human nature is to leap ahead of our brothers and sisters in Christ.  So what can we do to stave off the competitive spirit in our lives?  

As he finishes his warning about competition, Paul concludes:  “I will show you a still more excellent way” (1 Corinthians 12:31b ESV).  This “more excellent way” is found as he launches into 1 Corinthians 13—one of the most powerful passages in all of Scripture—the showcase of godly love.  And through these verses, Paul makes it clear that love is the antidote to the poison of competition in our lives. 

First, Paul reminds his readers that love lays the groundwork for everything else:  “If I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing” (13:2 ESV).  In other words, there’s no use for abilities or giftings unless they’re translated through the language of love.  If we’re flaunting our successes as trophies of our spiritual status or wielding them as weapons against those around us, they’re no successes at all.  

In addition, love seeks the best for others.  “Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” (v. 7 ESV).  When we love others with the love that comes from God, we’re able to celebrate their victories without insecurity and rejoice in what God’s done for them without doubting His similar provision for us.  Likewise, when we rest in our love for God and His love for us, we believe the best about His intentions and trust His will for our lives.  

Finally, love helps us keep a proper perspective.  “Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away” (v. 8 ESV).  Paul’s words remind us of why it’s so vital that we don’t become embroiled in competition.  All the earthly achievements that we vie for will fade like the frost in the morning.  All the gifts and talents we prize will one day be gone as well.  But what will be left is love—the love we hold for our fellow believers, and the eternal significance of what we accomplished for the Kingdom of God…together. 

Competition.  I’ve seen it at my birdfeeders, but I’ve lived it in my experience.  Today, I’m using the battles that break out at the feeders to remind me of the truth:  competition is useless, grace is inexhaustible, and God’s glory is preeminent.  Let’s not waste any of the time God has given us in trying to outperform each other.  Instead, let’s “encourage one another and build one another up” (1 Thessalonians 5:11 ESV).

Did you enjoy this post? How do you choose cooperation over competition? Let me know in the comments!

Photo credit: John Vowles on Unsplash