Community over Competition!
Collective Unity in the Church
Scripture tells us “How good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!” (Psalm 133:1). people coming together as one to support different ideologies and to create a sense of togetherness in a group is community.
While competition is the activity or condition of striving to gain or win something by defeating or establishing superiority over others.
According to the Bible, The church is the body of Christ—all the people who accept Christ’s gift of salvation and follow Christ’s teachings. It is much more than a building. In the Bible, “church” never refers to a building. It always refers to people—the people who follow Jesus Christ.
As a body of Christ, as a church, we are not called to compete amongst ourselves rather we’re called to be one no matter where or who we are across the world. We are called to represent Christ in unity. Let’s choose Community over Competition!
Community is collective unity. It’s the sense that we each belong to and are connected to the others. We cultivate the community we crave by pursuing the unity God commands. Ephesians 4:3 tells us to be “eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” Philippians 2:2 exhorts us to be “in full accord and of one mind.”
1 Corinthians 12:12-13- “The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So, it is with the body of Christ. Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit.” Let’s choose Community over Competition!
Signs that there is more of competition that community in the church includes;
Sense of Superiority:
When a particular denomination feels that their church is better than others. This is common amongst Pentecostal church members who believes that a church is better than another either based on spirituality, forms of worship, dress sense, founding fathers, branches across the world and so on.
I believe that when it comes to church there should be nothing like “class” Don’t’ say: “my church is classier than your church”. We’re one and we are given one major assignment on earth which is to sound the alarm and win souls for Christ! I wonder why we are misplacing our priorities today……
Materialization in the Church:
To me this is when a church focuses on raising various funds in building a beautiful and large building (church).
Some churches will aim to “build the biggest church on the mainland” some will say they want to have the biggest church on the island or any other location forgetting that we humans are the church and Christ dwells in us permanently not in any of those fancy buildings.
Self-righteousness based on position in Church.
Some church leaders are guilty of this, this happens when people occupying positions like Deacon, Deaconess, prophetess, Evangelist and so on believe that they are holier and better than ushers, Choirs and other church members.
Fundraisings
Competition come under fundraising when the amounts being dropped by a church member is high and another tries to beat the price up so that people will accord him respect.
Also of concern is the issue of church leaders paying special attention to those who raise high funds in the church and giving them an extra form of attention.
Fashion
This is one form of competition in the church that is so rampant, Is it Jewelries? Headgears? Cars? Outfits? Footwears? Wigs? Bags? The list can go on and on. Let’s choose Community over Competition!
I once attended a church on the where they have outfit timetable for every Sunday in the month. The first time I attended it was an all-white Sunday and I wore a black and blue outfit, it wasn’t so always since I was a first timer and I pulled that off, but the second time I would attend, it was an Aso-Oke (native wear) Sunday.
Brethren in Christ, I don’t own a single Aso-Oke! but I felt like is this church? you know and moreover it’s my father’s house, so I don’t necessarily have to adhere to a dress code.
I got there that fateful Sunday and I wish I could just be invincible till we close.
You need to see different beautiful expensive materials that people where showcasing, from pastors to ushers, from choirs to children department and huge headgears that where obstructing my view of the pulpit, it was then I knew that I’ve passed my boundaries.
After service they announced that the next Sunday will be back-to-school Sunday…… story cut short; I went Back-to-my former church where I was met with warm embraces.
Now imagine yourself in my shoes, imagine if it was a just converted Christian that did not have much to flaunt, is that how such a person will keep going from one church to the other without getting deeply rooted in them for the fear of being oppressed!?
Please note I’m not saying any of these things are totally wrong I’m merely pointing out the fact that it’s getting too extreme in the church nowadays and ordinary church members feels oppressed and so on. Rather than focusing our energy on these things why not channel the energy into saving those who has back-slide into sin!
We shall continue on how to promote unity in the church and avoid competition in the church next week.
