The Truth about Rivals

I don’t want you to think that being created without rival means your unrivaled promise will be easy to attain. Rivals are a fact of life. I know. Sorry. I don’t like it either, but it is true. And yet, rivals are not without purpose. Creating a life without rival is not about removing rivals from your life. Rather, it is about understanding that truly all things can work together for our good when we are called according to God’s purpose.

We can use the dynamics of rivalry to spur us on to greater growth and insight. If viewed correctly, rivals can serve as a catalyst, exposing our weaknesses and challenging us to develop our strengths. They push us beyond our limits and cause us to look up when we feel alone.

Maybe you’re thinking, wait—you told me I am a daughter without rival, an heiress of unrivaled promise, created to worship a God without rival.

All true. This is how you should see yourself relationally with your Creator, and it is your vantage for how you relate to others. But we would be more than naïve if we pretended that rivalries didn’t exist and that the promises came to us without a battle. The proclamation “You are the light of the world” (Matt. 5:14) does not negate the existence of darkness. Saying that you are a daughter without rival does not mean you will not encounter rivals any more than saying you are light means you will never face darkness.

I have learned to be so incredibly thankful for the opposition of rivals in my life. Rather than quit, and wallow in the despair of discouragement, I have learned to look back and see the repeated faithfulness of God. He carried me each and every time when I didn’t think I could take another step. I have learned more about the faithfulness of God from my enemies than from my friends.

Friends will offer you shelter (which is a good thing), but not necessarily a dynamic that fosters growth. Friends want to see you protected from the storms of life, while an enemy will do their best to lock you out in the pouring rain. But what if you are in a season when God wants you to learn that He is your ultimate shelter? Who is a better instructor: a rival or a friend?