Olympic Success

While at work the other day we were watching one of the swimming races that Michael Phelps was in. We have a few different television screens so we've been keeping NBC, MSNBC and USA on different screens so we don't miss anything. It was the 100 m Butterfly race that he barely won, and before the race most of my fellow watchstanders were hoping that he would lost because they were tired of hearing about his success (and the coverage was getting ridiculous because why is it that I know he has "a 6'7" wingspan, is 6'4" tall, has size 14 shoes and hands like dinner plates?"). One thing that even the casual observer couldn't get around was every newscaster talking about Phelps' diet (or lack thereof). Apparently the guy burns so many calories that he eats 8-12,000 calories a day just to keep up with his metabolism. Well, people were getting tired of hearing about Phelps' success and tired of hearing about 6-8 hours in the pool training everyday. I asked one of the trainees why he wanted Phelps to lose, and he really couldn't give me a great answer other than the usual "I'm so tired of hearing about him." It reminded me that I often resent the success of others, if not on the surface than somewhere inside. Rather than applauding them for their success we belittle them so we can compare ourselves more favorably. The other week I was playing golf with Clay and Wes. One thing I can't stand is losing in anything, and I'm admittedly somewhat of a poor sport when I don't win. Anyway I started to lose and my attitude about it was horrible...and of course I criticized his game rather than just admitting that he was outplaying me that day (speaking of losing, it reminds me of playing Lizzy in something called "Speed Scrabble." I couldn't form a word because she was yelling "draw" every two seconds after completing a new word. If you want to work on humility I recommend playing that game with Liz and her family). As Christians this criticizing of one another's success has to be stamped out of our thinking. We should be encouraging and helping one another, "sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another" (Prov. 27:17). Even though we are told to encourage others in love, I feel like I spend more time dulling the blades of others than I do sharpening them. Have you ever used a really dull knife? It's not a very useful object although it might look cool. I'm not saying that we shouldn't help others in areas where they struggle or have blindspots, but our motivation should be to help them improve, not to bring them down. Sharpening can be painful and abrasive at times, but it's goal is to yield a sharp, useful instrument. Let's be encouraging and correct one another in love, seeking the good of others instead of seeking our own glorification. "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love (1 John 4:7-8)."