Strife and Rivalry I. Introduction A. How do human beings relate to one another? B. There are only three ways 1. Avoidance 2. Collaboration 3. Competition C. All too often, humans find themselves in competition with each other 1. Not always a problem 2. There can be some competition involving good will toward all involved, and ends in the betterment of most of the persons involved 3. Yet, all too often, competition leads to ill will and all kinds of difficulty D. Unfortunately, competition often leads to strife or rivalry E. Let us consider what the Scriptures teach regarding such things II. Strife and Rivalry A. What is strife and rivalry? 1. Strife: Exertion or contention for superiority; contest of emulation, either by intellectual or physical efforts; contention in anger or enmity; contest; struggle for victory; quarrel or war; opposition; contrariety; contrast (Webster's) 2. Rivalry: Competition; a strife or effort to obtain an object which another is pursuing; or an endeavor to equal or surpass another in some excellence; emulation B. Both terms refer to contention or contests C. In Greek, both terms derive from the same root 1. Strife: Greek eris, contention, strife, wrangling (Thayer's) 2. Rivalry: Greek erithreia, electioneering or intriguing for office; a desire to put one's self forward, a partisan and fractious spirit which does not disdain low arts; partisanship, fractiousness 3. Distinction, in Greek, revolves around self-interest: strife does not necessarily serve one's self-interest, but rivalry generally does 4. Eris was also considered one of the Greek goddesses, and it was her golden apple that was to go to the fairest goddess that led to the entire Trojan War adventure in Greek mythology! D. We can see that strife and rivalry involve contentions, struggles, and quarrels E. What does God have to say about them? III. The Scriptures on Strife and Rivalry A. God is not pleased with strife and rivalry 1. Works of the flesh in Galatians 5:20 2. A part of the problem in Corinth (1 Corinthians 1:11; 3:3, 2 Corinthians 12:20) 3. A mark of the Gentiles and their heathen lifestyles (Romans 1:29) B. Strife, especially, is presented as a consequence of other sins 1. Hatred (enmity) leads to strife (Proverbs 10:12) 2. Insolence results in strife (Proverbs 13:10) 3. A hot temper stirs up strife (Proverbs 15:18) as does anger (Proverbs 29:22; 30:33) 4. So also dishonesty (Proverbs 16:28) and greed (Proverbs 28:25) 5. Those who love transgression love strife (Proverbs 17:19) 6. Those who get drunk get strife (Proverbs 23:29) C. Strife and rivalry are universally decried, a source of trouble and difficulty! 1. Job 33:19: life is marked with strife 2. Constant need to be delivered from strife (2 Samuel 22:44, Psalm 18:43; 31:20) 3. Better to have little without strife than much with it (Proverbs 17:1) 4. Honorable to keep aloof from it (Proverbs 20:3) 5. Proverbs 22:10 illustrative D. It is manifest, therefore, that we should want nothing to do with strife or rivalry! IV. Why Strife and Rivalry? A. Why is there so much strife and rivalry about? B. Selfish ambition often leads to conflict with others 1. Selfish ambition another way to see "rivalry" 2. According to the carnal mind, if one seeks to advance, he or she must do so by getting on top of everyone else 3. Whatever can be used to destroy another or to get the better of another will be used! 4. Political campaigns typify rivalry/selfish ambition-- look at the lengths candidates will go to run others into the mud! 5. On a spiritual level, consider Diotrephes in 3 John! C. Discord often exists among people for many reasons 1. Hurt feelings, painful statements having been made 2. Anger or hostility shown 3. Lack of trust 4. Volatility of personality 5. Destructive behaviors D. In general, strife and rivalry are the fruits of sinful emotions and/or behaviors 1. Rarely, if ever, will good will and righteous deeds, in and of themselves, engender strife or rivalry 2. Strife and rivalry are produced from sin: covetousness, greed, anger, hate, etc., and the responses to these sins! E. What can we do about it? V. Avoiding Strife and Rivalry A. It stands to reason that if we recognize that various sins lead to strife and rivalry, we must do two things 1. Avoid the sins that lead to strife and rivalry 2. Do not allow the sins of others to lead to strife and rivalry on our part (cf. Romans 12:21) B. How would we go about doing such things? C. The Scriptures provide the appropriate contrasts! 1. Be spiritual people, not fleshly people (1 Corinthians 3:1-3) 2. Act in good will, not by rivalry or conceit (Philippians 1:15) 3. Act with humility, not rivalry (Philippians 2:3) D. Humility is the greatest key in avoiding rivalry! 1. Rivalry, by its very nature, requires selfish ambition 2. To be humble and to keep a proper view of one’s position will prevent rivalry E. Love can keep strife away! 1. By its very nature, strife requires two parties at odds with each other 2. If one party is loving and seeks the best interest of the other (cf. Philippians 2:3-4, 1 Corinthians 13), any enmity, wrath, or jealousy on the part of the other cannot lead to strife 3. Thus Romans 12:19-21, illustrating Matthew 5:43-48/Luke 6:27-36 VI. Conclusion A. The world thrives on competition, and those who engender strife and rivalry are often rewarded for their tactics B. Nevertheless, Christians are not to act in such ways! C. Strife and rivalry are tools of Satan, and we must stand firm against him D. Let us be clothed with love and humility, and avoid strife and rivalry! E. Invitation/songbook