Daily Concern

Someone once said that “competition brings out the best in us”, I’m not sure that’s always true. Our competitive nature, like just like everything else, is a God-given emotion that has been twisted into something negative by Satan. Even in Christian circles (or perhaps, especially in Christian circles) it seems that our competitive nature often brings out the worst in us, not the best.

Competition gone awry

The root of our competitive pitfalls is actually something much deeper. It’s rooted in insecurity, envy, jealousy and covetousness. The first visible evidence of this on earth is with the sons of Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel. Cain became jealous of his younger brother Abel because the Lord regarded Abel’s offering more highly than his own. Cain devised a plot and invited Abel out into the field where he committed the world’s first murder by killing his brother Abel in cold blood. (Genesis 4:1-10)

The Bible is filled with stories of the competitive nature gone awry, from Jacob tricking his father against his brother Esau (Genesis 27), to Joseph being thrown in a pit by his brothers (Genesis 37:12-36), to the embarrassing behavior of the apostles as they competed with one another to see who was the greatest (Mark 9:33-35). In hindsight, we see how boldly arrogant, and ignorant, they were… as if the Lord would actually reward such behavior.

Competition between individuals

Individuals are seemingly always in competition. Sometimes we do this overtly and sometimes subconsciously. Sadly, men are often the prototype for bad competitive behavior.

How often have you, or someone you know, taken things one step too far? Perhaps as a weekend warrior on the flag football field, as a parent at a youth baseball game, or even playing basketball one-on-one with your son in the backyard. It’s not isolated to men either. Women can also be highly competitive in sports, in their career, or their appearance. We try to establish our superiority over the other person by blindly attempting to best them in a sport, prove that we’re right and they’re wrong, or attempt to get the promotion regardless of the costs.

Competition between Non-profits and Churches

Bad behavior in competition is not just isolated to individuals or sports teams. Non-profit organizations and churches often set a poor example as they surprisingly try to compete with each other.

Non-profit organizations frequently behave as if they’re competing for the same monies from the same audience. It often ends up pitting one organization against another when in reality they should simply focus on refining their message and effectively communicating their cause.

Churches are often competing with each other even though only a small percentage of the overall population ever attends church. One would think it’s obvious that there’s no need for competition amongst churches, in fact what the world needs is MORE churches. The world needs churches that are fervently reaching out to the lost. Rather than fretting about the new dynamic church that moved into “your” city, start praying about the lost in your own backyard and how you can best reach them.

Competition in business

What about companies you say? Isn’t competition a natural by-product of a capitalist society? Am I suggesting we should turn to some sort of socialistic, everyone supposedly wins, proposition?

I do believe in the principles of capitalism but unfortunately businesses are often the worst examples of competitive behaviors from small businesses that “bend” the truth to the high-stakes world of corporate espionage.

Competition done right

Despite the negative examples above, I think competition is a good thing. Done properly it CAN bring out the best in all of us.

There’s a reason why no one has ever set the world record in swimming or sprinting by themselves. When the individuals are competing in a race against other strong competitors they are motivated to try hard, to win the race — and as a result of the competition, a new record is set.

Professional sports teams are always attempting to make their team better through personnel trades, better training, and new offensive/defensive schemes. They are always working to improve because the other teams are also making moves to improve themselves. As a result, many teams raise their game to a new level each year.

Competition between companies in the same marketplace often results in amazing new innovations in product design and features. SalesForce.com’s entrance into the CRM space caused Oracle, Microsoft, and others to improve their products leading to a win-win situation for customers. Apple’s entrance into the mobile phone market spurred Google to develop Android-based smart phones and for RIM, Nokia, Microsoft and others to raise their games in order to keep up. Now consumers have better devices and more choices than ever before.

Without competition we would become complacent. Products would become stagnant, their features would be reduced to the lowest common denominator. That’s why monopolies are so bad for consumers. In a monopoly a company controls the entire market and they inevitably lose the desire to innovate. Why would they? Consumers would have no other choice for a different product.

Thankful for competition

I am thankful for God’s gift of competition. It inspires us to excel. I work for a company that provides web-based church management software. I’m thankful for all of the competitors that offer software to churches, from specialized point solutions, to full enterprise-level church management systems. As some solutions fade away new ones arise with a new way of thinking, a fresh outlook on an old problem, or perhaps an innovative solution to a new challenge. It keeps us all sharp, always seeking to improve.

Regardless of where you work, my prayer is that you view competition through new eyes, so that it might lead to inspiration and innovation rather than the alternative.

Do you remember asking your parents “Are we there yet?” while on a long drive for a family vacation? Have your kids asked you that same thing just 10 minutes after leaving for a trip?

The entire focus is on the destination rather than enjoying the journey. You spend the weeks and days leading up to the vacation meticulously planning your every activity once you arrive at your destination. The only attention you pay to the journey is to pray that you don’t kill each other along the way.

Nowadays, many families opt for air travel, but if they did take the car or SUV it’s outfitted with DVD players, built-in game consoles, and iPods. Why on earth would you ever look out the window or talk to each other along the way to your destination?

Over the past year I’ve learned that the journey is often more memorable than the destination. It’s been repeatedly reinforced through my own experiences and through an awesome book by Donald Miller, A Million Miles in a Thousand Years.

For example, my only memory as a child of our family trip to Arizona is my father having to pull over in a blinding snow storm so that my brother could relieve himself. We opened the back door and the only food we had in the car spilled out onto the ground while my brother proceed to yellow both the snow and the food. Our initial shock quickly turned to laughter. We still laugh about it to this day yet I have no recollection of our time in Arizona.

(I’m sure that story either horrified you or brought back some fond memories you’ve suppressed for years.)

In the past, I’ve been guilty of focusing solely on the destination. I had our trip to Disney World mapped out to every last detail, including whether to go clockwise or counter clockwise when you enter the park. (Hint, the answer is clockwise, most people head to the right by default – no lines)

So this past spring I took the family to Ecuador. The only details I had arranged ahead of time were our flight and for a gentleman I met over the Internet to pick us up. Seven days in a foreign land, picked up by a stranger, with no firm plan, my wife and kids thought I was crazy. Perhaps I was but we had an awesome time, our best vacation ever. We traveled over fifty miles in a truck so bad that Sanford & Sons wouldn’t buy it. We were escorted over the mountains by someone who did not speak English, in fog so dense we couldn’t see the front of the truck. And we were chauffeured from another airport to a hotel by a strange but polite businessman we met on the flight.

These experiences, these stories, are what made the trip truly memorable. I learned it wasn’t just about the destination, about the things we’d do and see once we arrived, it was about the journey.

Keep in mind the journey may not be enjoyable. Without suffering one cannot truly appreciate joy.

• Joseph was thrown in a pit, spent years in jail falsely accused, before arriving at the destination God had planned for him
• The Israelites spent forty years wandering in the desert, learning about dependence upon God, before arriving at their destination, the promise land
• Paul endured hardships, and years with a thorn in his flesh, before spending eternity with Jesus
• A cancer patient who must endure tremendous pain and suffering must not forget the many new relationships and opportunities that are born out of the situation
• An entrepreneur may toil at his trade for years before ever reaping any rewards
• Jesus had to leave Heaven, to live life as a man, and be brutally crucified for humanity’s sins in order to get to His destination, by His Father’s side

While parts of the journey may be filled with challenges, many others will result in indescribable joy and long lasting memories. Over the past six years at Fellowship Technologies I’ve worked beside some tremendously talented individuals who have worked long hours, faced what seemed insurmountable challenges, and formed countless memories. It has been, and will continue to be, an awesome journey.

I’m convicted more than ever to live life to the fullest each day, to take the time to enjoy the journey, to write a new story… the destination will be here soon enough. 

God bless,

Curtis S

I am a part of Generation X, the “Baby Busters”, and I am guilty of trying to provide my children all of the things I thought I missed out on as a child of divorced parents. My wife and I took them on big annual vacations, got them the latest toys, the latest trendy clothes, put them in a private Christian school, and had them in church every time the doors were open.

We didn’t do it flippantly – or at least we didn’t think so. We thanked God openly for our countless blessings. We hid God’s word in their hearts. We patiently taught our children the value of hard work and about consequences. We taught them lessons via encouragement and discipline. We were involved in their lives but also gave them space to grow.

So far I believe we did a pretty good job. We are blessed with an 18 yr old son and a 14 yr old daughter who call Christ their Savior, who generally make good grades, honor their parents, and have steered clear of drugs, alcohol, and sex.

All along this journey we’ve been reminded of the direct parallels that exist between parents and their children to God’s relationship with us. That lesson was ever present again as my son recently completed his first semester away from home at college.

He was awarded an academic scholarship at a major university. We agreed to pay 100% of his expenses (tuition, books, room, misc) for the first semester – and beyond, assuming things went well. We counseled him throughout the summer about the challenges that college would present, the temptations that would exist, the need to stay true to his Faith, and the consequences that would result if his grades slipped. He had all of the tools and resources he needed to succeed.

Unfortunately he fell into every available trap that was laid before him. His grades suffered, he lost the scholarship, and had to step away from the fraternity. We weren’t happy of course but we talked through the mistakes with him, forgave him, and now he’s packed and ready to return to college for a fresh start this evening.

It was a stark reminder of the Christian faith.

God wants to bless us, whether that is spiritually, physically, relationally, or even financially. He wants to bless us so we can be a blessing to others. We need to remember that we are forgiven. We are loved unconditionally. We simply need to accept these truths and follow His commands. To be clear, I’m not suggesting that there is a direct cause and effect relationship between our actions and God’s blessing. Just because I did my quiet time five days in a row doesn’t mean I will get a pay raise. But I do see how God wants the best for us, despite our failings, yet we repeatedly do the absurd and try to do things our way, choosing sin over obedience, and then we’re stuck wondering why we’re wandering around in the wilderness.

We woke up very early the next day to head to Otavalo. Our guide was Gustavo, he spoke limited English but he made every effort to make the trip enjoyable. The drive from Quito to Otavalo was beautiful, endless lush country-sides and mountains. The market was amazing, it went on and on for many blocks in every direction (Pics 1, 2, 3). We had a great time and, of course, spent much more than we intended buy locally made gifts for ourselves, friends, and family. We spent most of the day in Otavalo and returned back to the hotel to rest. The kids were desperate for some American food so we ordered Pizza Hut to be delivered, it tasted perfect, just like home.

The view from our hotel was great. We had a perfect view of both new town and old town Quito.  On the 7th day of our trip we arranged for Gustavo to take us into old town Quito. It was a Sunday and they  limited the traffic on the streets of old town to bikes and walking. We walked all over the town, visiting the many historic churches that were there (Pics 1, 2, 3, 4, 5). They wouldn’t allow us take pictures in some of the churches, in particular because it was during Catholic Mass. We also toured the outside of the Presidential palace, sort of the Ecuadorian white house (Pics 1, 2, 3, 4). By far the most impressive thing was the Basilica. The walk up to the Basilica was a challenge given that we were still at an elevation of roughly 10K feet. However, once we got there were toured nearly every inch (See pics 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)

On our last full day in Ecuadaor we had Gustavo takes us to Mitad del Mundo, or the Center of the Earth. We were able to stand on the Equator and do some fun experiments  (even if they were a bit suspicious). The kids had a lot of fun, a unique experience I pray that they’ll remember forever.

The following morning, we packed our things and headed home. We were thankful for the opportunity to both serve and tour such a wonderful country like Ecuador. Hopefully, this will be the first of many such trips our family can go on.

This was our last morning at Quizas Hoy, we woke up early to pack. We took some group photos with Al, Rocio, Ivan, and Augustine. We were very thankful for our time at the camp. Senor Vera arrived around 9am in a small, but clean, pick-up truck. We loaded up our stuff and headed on our way to Cuenca. Senor Vera understood no English so communication was difficult. However, he knew the way and would stop frequently to allow us to take pictures. We had to first cross over the mountains, we would then stop at Ingapirca to see some ancient Incan ruins, then on to Cuenca and lastly to catch a late flight into Quito.

As we ascended the mountain (roughly 14,000 feet at the peak) in the small truck we encountered very, very dense fog. So thick that we slowed to a crawl on the tight hairpin turns, at one point I even had to lean out of the truck to try and guide Senor Vera. As we went along we encountered more of the indigenous people that lived on the mountain. Both the men and women were considerably shorter than normal. And the women wore brightly colored traditional dresses. Most would not allow us to take pictures but we snapped a few along the way. My favorite pic was of this young girl sitting on the side of the road. We also came upon a Christian school, the girls ran away from our camera but the boys were curious and stuck around.

After several hours we arrived at Ingapirca, the place was beautiful (Pics 1, 2, 3, 4). We toured the ruins, ate some lunch, and bought a few souvenirs. Time was short so we jumped back in the truck and made our way to Cuenca, roughly 2 more hours away. Cuenca was a wonderful small town with small, one-way, brick streets and tons of churches (Pics 1, 2, 3, 4).  We could only stay a few hours and then Senor Vera dropped us off at the airport for our flight to Quito.

The short 45 minute flight from Cuenca to Quito was bumpy as we flew over the mountains. Quito’s elevation is roughly 9,300 feet but we felt no ill effects from it. On the flight we met a very interesting businessman from India. He lived in New York but had business interests all over the world, including Ecuador. Surprisingly he offered, actually insisted, that he give us a ride to our hotel in the car he had waiting for him. I was initially concerned about loading our whole family into a stranger’s car late at night in a foreign country. However, after a short prayer I was at peace with the decision. The Lord was looking out for us because the businessman indeed proved to be trustworthy, full of tips for seeing the city, and dropped us off at the hotel safe and sound.

Given the sparse accommodations we had the first four nights in Ecuador any sort of hotel would have been wonderful. However, our hotel exceeded our expectations even though it was simply a Holiday Inn Express. It was in the heart of the city, near the nightlife, it was newly constructed, seven stories high and simply beautiful, tons of marble and woodwork. Our rooms were on the top floor with a perfect view of the city and old town Quito. But thing we were most thankful for was the shower, it had a huge shower head that rained down from above the center of the shower. None of us had a hot bath since we arrived in Ecuador so it was truly a blessing. Prior to crashes for the night, we made arrangements with the hotel to have a driver take us to the street markets of Otavalo in the morning. Thankful to have made it this far we fell asleep right away.