My Broncos had a good season. If you had told me at the start of the season that we would make the playoffs, I would have been pumped. We ended up losing in the first round. I was disappointed. I had begun to believe we were capable of winning, especially after our first touchdown. But we lost, and I was disappointed. But I am not alone. There are thirty-one teams and their fan bases who will be disappointed after the Super Bowl. Why? Because we are all in competition to win it all, to be the best. But that only happens for one. Is that how it is spiritually? Will there only be one person who gets to hear “Well done, good and faithful slave”? (Matthew 25:21).
The answer is no. We are not in a competition. In fact, I believe when Jesus says in John 14:2 that “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places,” he is referring to the fact that all who are obedient to God will have a place with Him in heaven. So heaven is unlike the work place where there may be one job opening and twenty applications with only one getting the job so you have to do your best to shine brighter than the rest. It is more liking getting a driver’s license where, if you will pass the written and road test, everyone can have a license and there are no mean driving instructors or DMV’s.
If we are not competing against each other, how should we act? We should be helping each other as we travel this straight and narrow path. I am not trying to beat you out for a spot but called to help you to the finish line. Hebrews 3:13 says, “Encourage one another day after day.” Sometimes that means a helping hand for a burden that might be hard for someone to bear or an encouraging word about overcoming. Sometimes that is confronting someone in love about their sin so they can be right with God. What are you doing to help someone on the path to heaven?