Practicing Secrecy in an Age of InfluenceSample

Praying for Our Competitors

Competition is a beautiful mess.

At times, competition can be life-giving, teaching us humility, kindness, and how to work together towards a common goal. However, there is an ugly side to it that can expose pride, fear, and an unhealthy need for validation from others.

So, how do we avoid the trap of unhealthy competition while not missing out on the apparent benefits competition can offer? One way is through the practice of secrecy.

So far, in this reading plan, we have loosely defined the practice of secrecy as "abstaining from having our good deeds and qualities generally known." Today, we will consider a different aspect of secrecy.

Dallas Willard once wrote, "Secrecy at its best teaches us love and humility before God and others… If you want to experience the flow of love as never before, the next time you are in a competitive situation, pray that the others around you will be more outstanding, more praised, and more used of God than yourself. If Christians were universally to do this for each other, the earth would soon be filled with the knowledge of God's glory."

At the intersection of competition and the practice of secrecy, we are invited into sacrificial prayer. Prayer for the success of others above our own success. Make no mistake, this is completely counter-cultural in today's win-at-all-costs environment.

Praying for others in a competitive setting requires a shift in mindset from scarcity to abundance.

A scarcity mindset believes the lie that there is a limited amount of blessings available in God's kingdom. Gripped by the fear of missing out, we fall victim to the thought, "I must take what is mine." Fear then leads to an unhealthy fixation on the outcome—winning at all costs becomes the only option.

An abundance mindset believes that God is more than capable of blessing all creation. His resources are limitless! People become the focus over our own accomplishments. We are more interested in the journey than the outcome.

Practically speaking, what does this look like in daily life?

It could look like praying for our competitors and colleagues at work. Praying for the other team as we participate in sports. Or praying for the spiritual health of all churches in our community, not just the one we attend.