Competition Makes You Better

Posted by Scott Williams
12 Comments
January 13, 2011
dream BIG. think BIGGER. | Leadership | Life Application

No matter how you slice it, the harsh reality is that competition makes you better.  If you look at the parity in college football this year, it’s a result of competition forcing teams in all conferences to get better.  If they weren’t good this year they will be better next year.

This same concept applies to churches, often times churches will elevate their game when a new church pops up in their area of reach.  The increasing number of mom and pop coffee shops caused Starbucks to take stock of who they were, what they stood for and elevated their game.  As a result Starbucks has asked employees to slow down and for baristas to spend more time on each individual cup of coffee.

If you don’t believe that Competition Makes You Better, wait until next month.  I can guarantee that the king of dropped calls “AT&T” will get better when the new iPhone Sheriff “Verizon” rolls in to town.

The lack of competition screams for complacency and mediocrity.

Don’t shy away from competition, embrace it.  It only makes you better.

Do you think competition makes you better?  Do you think AT&T will get better?  How have you seen this principle played out?

  • http://www.sundijo.wordpress.com Sundi Jo

    I’m not sure that competition always makes us better. I think it can be a good thing in some aspects, but we can get so carried away with trying to be the best, that we forget our mission completely.

    And I pray that AT&T can get their customer service act together soon – just sayin.

    • Scott Williams

      There are always cases where people can go overboard with anything. Generally speaking, competition improves a product and “makes you better.” If we didn’t have competition there wouldn’t be a such thing as a $5 footlong at subway or a value menu at Burger King, Wendy’s or McDonalds.

  • http://www.bathosdeeper.blogspot.com Javi

    to some extent yes competition can wake up a leader and/or cause him/her to elevate their ‘game’ with that said though within the heart of a Christian leader if the only reason you’re going to raise your game is to out due the other church/leader, those are not note worthy intentions.

    We must remember that God looks at the heart (where are true intentions are)…therefore although the comparison has ‘some’ merit, it won’t sustain a ministry. If LifeChurch.tv’s rationale was only to compete with other churches and just be bigger than lets say NorthPointe would that be right?

    Yet obviously I believe that’s not the case both LifeChurch and NorthPointe have one true intention: to win people to Jesus. They hope to empower each other, along with other churches…

    • Scott Williams

      Absolutely, that should never be a reason that a leader elevates their game. We keep healthy competition amongst our campus staff teams. Churches should not be in competition with one another, as we are competing w/ the things of this world to win people to Christ.

  • http://www.churchthought.com Matt Steen

    I have been struggling with this all day.

    I get the idea that competition makes us better and I believe that in most situations that is the case… but I think that in the church context that competition only makes us worse. The mindset that we need to “up our game” because of the new church in town is distasteful to me, but it is also one that I believe way too many pastors have. It is not about beating out the other bride of Christ, it is about expanding God’s Kingdom in any way that we can.

    I think that we can learn from other churches and while iron sharpening iron always includes sparks I think that when we take the competition mindset it only hinders us in the long run.

    • Scott Williams

      Amen and Amen… I agree with you on both fronts, that’s the reality. I do know that several schools and ministry partners said that some other churches “elevated their game” when we launched in our community. With ministries, hopefully it’s a different kind of competition.

      Elevate our game to reach more people for Christ.

  • http://elevationlife.com Bryan Thompson

    Scott, I’m with Sundi, Javi, and Matt – not so sure I follow you all the way here.

    It’s a torn decision isn’t it? On the one hand, having churches pop up around us SHOULD FORCE US to stand back and analyze ourselves: Are we meeting the needs of our community? Are people connecting with God? Are people connecting with each other? And how do we make sure we’re on top of our game?

    I’m totally with you there.

    But then there’s the kingdom part – the part that HATES denominations. The part that HATES seperation. The part that HATES the us v. them (our church rocks out while your church sings hymns).

    We’re encouraged to step up. But we’re NOT a business. I heard Jim Collins say once at a Willow Creek Summit, “Churches shouldn’t want to function like a business. For one thing, most businesses aren’t very good. For another thing, a business’s export is money, but a church’s export is people.”

    What do you think?

  • Scott Williams

    #FistBump We are preaching the same sermon! :)

  • http://www.jmaxministries.com Jason Maxwell

    Healthy competition increases a sense of urgency among churches and ministries..Bring it! :) Am on board with you Scott!

  • jimmy hankins

    Is second best acceptable? Is it acceptable to be second best?

  • Mason Stanley

    Competition is a form of tension and tension can be a great motivator! It also has a way of weeding out those that are not completely sold out to their cause. Even if the competition causes you to fail, if you can learn from your failure you become better.

    Churches, families, and individuals can become complacent and lukewarm. Strategically speaking, if you are not on the offense you are on the defense. Being in the defense for too long causes us to miss what God has ahead of us. Competition/ tension is good!

  • http://www.kompletszkolenbhp.pl szkolenia okresowe bhp

    very interesting article, i like to read something like this, in the past i wanted to write my own blog but i don’t have much time to do it.
    regards from Bhp

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