YOUnique Purpose - Why Purpose?ಮಾದರಿ

Compete

You were not created to Compete!

"Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves." - Philippians 2:3 (KJV)

In Peter Thiel's book Zero-To-One, he writes about "The Ideology of Competition" and how it distorts our thinking:

More than anything else, Competition is an ideology. The ideology that pervades our society and distorts our thinking. We preach competition, internalize its necessity and enact its commandments and as a result we trap ourselves within it - even though the more we compete the less we gain.

This is a simple truth, but we’ve all been trained to ignore it. Our educational system both drives and reflects our obsession with competition. Grades themselves allow precise measurement of each student's competitiveness. Pupils with highest marks receive status and credentials. We teach every person the same subjects in mostly the same way irrespective of their individual talents and preferences.

Students who don't learn best by sitting still at the desk are made to feel somehow inferior, while Children who excel on conversational measures like tests and assignments end up defining their identities in terms of this weirdly contrived academic parallel reality.

And it gets worse as students ascend to higher levels of the tournament. Elite students climb confidently until they reach a level of competition sufficiently intense to beat their dreams out of them."

An example of this is Rachel, a tenth-grade student whose entire year was dedicated to preparing for board exams that were eventually canceled due to COVID-19. When her mother expressed frustration over the cancellation, it revealed how deeply ingrained the focus on competition and grades has become. The purpose of education—to learn and grow for life—has been reduced to a mere contest of marks and rankings.

My mentor, Ps. Sunder Krishnan, often says, “Competition kills.” He says that “learning is maximized when education is done in a context of a relationship," such as the parent-child bond in homeschooling environment or the teacher-child bond in a small Christian school environment. Your education is not about outperforming others but about personal growth and development.

STOP Competing

When we stop competing:

• We stop measuring our worth against others.
• We start focusing on personal growth and learning, rather than striving to be "better" than someone else.
• We learn to appreciate our own journey and celebrate others without feeling threatened or inferior.*

Compromise

You were not created to Compromise!

"But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself." - Daniel 1:8 (KJV)

You were not created to compromise with the world. Compromise brings disastrous consequences for God’s people, and believers are not immune to its dangers.

a. Compromise with the world is a danger even for believers. No matter how strong your faith may be, the temptation to compromise will always be present. We must be vigilant and guard our hearts from the subtle influences of the world.

b. Compromise is deceptive. Satan doesn’t always attack in obvious ways. He uses subtle, seemingly good things to lure us into compromise, leading us astray. It may appear harmless at first, but once you give in, you’re drawn deeper into the trap.

c. Compromise pulls you into wrong relationships. Compromise can lead to disastrous choices in various aspects of our lives:

• Wrong marriage relationships: Settling for relationships that pull you away from God.
• Wrong social relationships: Associating with people who lead you away from your convictions.
• Wrong spiritual relationships: Becoming entangled in teachings or beliefs that are not rooted in truth.
• Wrong political relationships: Supporting ideologies that contradict biblical principles.
• Wrong vocational relationships: Working in environments or for causes that conflict with your values and God's purpose for your life.

d. Compromise with the world brings disastrous results. The consequences of compromising with the world can be long-lasting and devastating, leading us away from God's perfect will for our lives.

STOP Compromising

When we stop compromising:

• We strengthen our faith and remain steadfast in God's will.
• We protect ourselves from the dangers of deception.
• We maintain relationships that honor God and align with His purpose.
• We avoid the disastrous results that compromise with the world inevitably brings.