Tadd Corder
“If they were all one member, where would the body be? But now there are many members, but one body. And the eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I have no need of you’; or again the head to the feet, ‘I have no need of you.’ On the contrary, it is much truer that the members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary…” (1 Corinthians 12:19-22)
Competition has often been presented as the best way to facilitate growth, even mean-spirited competition. If our opponent is mean-spirited, this just means that they are “tough”. We will have to get “tougher” in order to succeed. Many people seem to believe that unrestrained competition in the free market is the answer to every economic question that any civilization has ever asked. Personal experience probably shows us that competition in the free market without the guiding principle of, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” will eventually result in some exploitation or dishonesty. This is the nature of competition for its own sake.
Paul used the picture of a human body to illustrate how the spirit of competition within the body of Christ will work against the Lord’s desires for His people. The eyes of a human body do not disdain the hands. How absurd! How could the body ever experience the joy of touching things that the eyes see without the hands or the skin? If a member of the human body does seem to grow stronger in one area, it indicates one of two things: 1) part of the body is trying to compensate for another part of the body that is struggling; 2) part of the body is being neglected. The parts of a human body are only functioning properly when they cooperate for the benefit of the whole. This is how it must be in the church and even the parts of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary.
Could it be that what we add to others as a well-functioning part of the whole is the ultimate standard to judge our progress in every area of our lives? This is the implication of the two greatest commandments. Love God. Love your neighbor as yourself. These are the greatest commandments and they are both relational. Now, there is a place for competition. Paul said: “I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.” (1 Corinthians 9:27). However, what Paul described was competition with himself in order to be a better servant to God and to others. Paul wasn’t trying to eclipse God or any of his brethren for the sake of personal advancement. He was striving to be a properly functioning part of the body of Christ.
Cooperation in the church is not optional. Thankfully, the submission of every member to the word of God will help us to work through the problem of self-interest. But, again, what if we began to measure ourselves by what we add to others in every area of our lives? What if we even tried to add something to our “opponents”? Things like wins and losses on the scoreboard and individual awards might not be as important to us as they are now. Even money might not be as important to us — unless it could be enjoyed with others and shared with others. But this is not just a matter of identifying a better strategy than unrestrained competition. Cooperation is commanded. Love God. Love your neighbor as yourself. We need others and we are needed.
