Churches Shouldn’t Compete

Many of us are competitive by nature. If there is anything innately good regarding competitiveness, I’m not sure I have discovered it.
Does it push us towards better products, better outcomes, better results? The answer is clearly yes. But is it possible to produce excellence without competition? I think the answer is also yes.
In Australia, there was a man who amongst other things, produced a water tank, which originally was pulled by horses. I don’t think there was anything too spectacular about these tanks, but they are now a sought-after relic, and on them, this man of faith, John Furphy wrote what I believe was a personal motto. “Good, better, best, never let it rest, until your good is better, and your better best.”
If nothing else this motto describes someone who is motivated to produce to a high standard.

If we turn to the scriptures, I immediately think of a number of situations which could be described as “competitive”, though you might disagree.
Cain and Abel.
Jacob and Esau.
David and Saul.
There are others including nations.
Wars and battles within wars are a type of competition.
“Success” is an attractive word. Winning any competition is also attractive.
The strive to succeed is a well accepted attitude in western society.
But let’s consider the personal effects of competition.
Firstly, competition sets priorities. Once we are in a race, our priority is to win the race (I am generalizing), and therefore spending time or effort on other activities, unrelated to the race, would be avoided.
Then, once the race is over there are personal responses to the results.
For me, winning a race would potentially generate pride. Losing would potentially generate shame. Neither outcome would be considered godly. It is interesting that many people describe experiencing emotional "lows" at some point after major success.

We are instructed to "strive" in the New Testament.
We are told to be eager to do good works. 

1 Thessalonians 5:15 (NIV) Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else.

 
Paul spoke about beating his body so that he would not run the race in vain. But the race he is talking about is the Christian life of witness and service. (Which are actually the same things).

1 Corinthians 15:58 (NIV) Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
Philippians 2:3-4 (NIV) Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
Hebrews 12:1-2 (NIV) And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.
1 Timothy 4:8-10 (NIV) For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. 9 This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance. 10 That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe. 

But in terms of “success”, Jesus repeatedly expresses a strange principle regarding the kingdom of God; the first shall be last and the last first. 

I state all of this to strongly suggest that churches do not need to compete, not with each other, not with the world.
You might say that they don’t, but my observation today is that we do compete, whether overtly or subtly. It may simply be human nature.
But as Christians, as local church gatherings, we are able to decide not to be motivated by natural tendencies.
So churches do not need to have the best speakers, music, sound system, building, kids program, coffee, video presentations, seating, parking, projects, technology or any other thing that comes to mind.
We do have to have sound doctrine and love for all our brethren, with an ongoing desire to meet together, and worship our Lord, as well as joy in sharing the good news of forgiveness. We must never forget our first love, and be willing to accept his discipline and correction.
We can and do find ample motivation to do things well, very well, simply by following the directive given, more than once, that in everything we do, we do it as though we are serving Jesus himself, our Lord, which is actually what we are doing.
If we maintain this attitude, then there is no need for competition, and no room for boasting.

Our gatherings may appear ordinary, but so did our Galilean Lord, even immediately after the resurrection.