Reflections on competition (Br Peter Anthoney)

competitor… compete… competing… competed…

or to become complete!

“Life is nothing but a competition to be a criminal rather
than to be a victim” a philosopher

“Competition brings out about the best in products but resulting in the worst of the people.” a businessman

In our daily real life situations where we all live, competition seems to have overtaken the various aspects of our living. Adults seem to compete for jobs. Students compete for grades and placement at higher levels of education. In the business world people are in the ‘rat race’ competing for dollars. In another sense people seem to be competing for attention, affection, and love. Our recreation has turned out to be a competition to win. In our lives, we seem to fall into this trap of competition now and then. Indeed, it’s nearly impossible to ignore some form of competition in our daily living. We seem to belong to a group of sinful, confused, anguished people constantly tempted by the powers of lust and greed and always entangled in rivalry and competition.

Are we ready or are we prepared to face and overcome these growing levels of competition in today’s society? Have we ever pondered where this competition is leading us to?

As I was reflecting upon our lifestyles, I became aware that without our knowledge we are simply being drawn under this influence of power and competition. Where are we heading…what is our goal?

Psalm 125 seem to direct us to look into our lives from the perspectives of how our God has created us to be;

The heathens themselves said: ‘What marvels the Lord worked for them!’
What marvels the Lord worked for us, Indeed we were glad.

Psalm 125 : 3

It is only when we reflect at the marvels the Lord has worked for us we will become satisfied with who and what we are. It is in the finding of our true self the self intended of God for us; the self that ‘little less than a God, crowned him with glory and beauty’ (Psalm 8 : 5) that we become self satisfied and begin to give Glory to God from wherever and whomsoever we are. We will then marvel at the identity we receive from God our Father and will stop yielding to the influences of the world, the competitive world.

Psalm 126 taking the theme, ‘success depends on the Lord’s blessing’ reflects that we have to allow God into our every layer of our lives for us to rejoice and live in contentment in all situations of our life.


If the Lord does not build the house,
in vain do its builders labour;
If the Lord does not watch over the city,
in vain does the watchman keep vigil.
In vain is your earlier raising, your going later to rest,
You who toil for bread you eat;
when he pours gifts on his beloved while they slumber,

Psalm 126 :1-2

Influences of the vices of the world will not be able to takeover our lives and lead us to sin rather we will belong to the human race designed by God with a predestination for eternal life in heaven.

Let us give thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share
in the inheritance of the Saints in light.

Col 1:12

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Stay tuned for the next post by Br Anthony Liew on 10th Sep 2010.