When I was a little boy, our teacher often organized some games during class in order to cultivate our sense of competition. I was particularly excited to participate in these games because they were not only fun, but they always gave me a sense of accomplishment. But on this day, I learned something more.

It was a sunny and warm afternoon. Our teacher walked into the classroom with a smile on her face and a music recorder in her hand. Putting all her books on the desk, she began to introduce the content of the day’s class, which in addition to our studies, included an interesting and exciting game. She proceeded to introduce us to “Musical Chairs” which none of us had ever played before. With the music playing, she told us that for each game, four students would walk around three chairs that were arranged in a pattern like a triangle. When the music stopped, the four students competed for the three chairs, and as a result, the student who had no chair to sit on would be eliminated. Then, when the music began again, we would have just two chairs and three students, and in the final round, there would be just one chair with two students trying to gain the seat and become the winner of the game.

Being eager to beat every student and win the game, I volunteered to participate without any hesitation, and three other students who seemed much thinner and weaker than I was were also selected to enter the game, including my best friend, Chen. In the first round, I walked around carefully, touching each chair so cautiously that I was able to occupy the best position when the music stopped. Meanwhile, an anxious and tense atmosphere filled our classroom, and all the students kept their eyes on the scene for fear of missing any detail. Suddenly, the music stopped, and I rushed to the nearest chair with my whole strength, pushing one student aside with my shoulder and sitting firmly on the chair. With students’ yelling and applauding, another student was eliminated, and I made it to the final round with my best friend, Chen.

It was apparent that this game had gradually become a competition between two best friends. When the music stopped on the final round, Chen occupied a very good position in front of the only chair left, and it was clear that I was going to lose. But at that moment, I was totally consumed with winning while visions of victory and applause from my classmates filled my head. And so, I rushed to the only chair remaining, bumping Chen so forcefully that he was thrown to the ground, and I was finally able to sit on the only chair left.

But then, something unexpected happened. I immediately realized that when I sat on the chair, I heard no applause from the class, and to this day, I cannot forget the disdain and disappointment that all the students showed me. If I would have just accepted the loss and allowed Chen to gain the final seat, things would have been so much better. I came to realize that because we had all contributed to having such a wonderful time together, I didn’t have to take winning so seriously.

We live in a world full of fierce competitions that encourage us to achieve victory and gain success at any cost. But during the competition, we usually ignore the value of the process itself. I now make a point to guard myself from being so focused on the outcome so that I can enjoy the process with others, which I have discovered, is the most valuable part. And that is the most ideal outcome of all. 

Additional Comments – I have always loved sports. My mother used to tell me that when I was born, I had a baseball glove in my left hand and a football in my right! She tried to give me some culture by learning to play the trumpet and piano, but I kept telling her that baseball and football could also be considered as “culture.” She didn’t buy it, but at the same time, she did not insist that I continue to take music lessons. She understood my “bent,” and my real joys.

Loving sports of all kinds, I grew up with a competitive spirit, and like all athletes, I hated losing! And whenever our team would lose, I had to work hard at controlling my temper over the loss. Even as a young teenager, I knew that overcoming my anger was something that only God could do. I am grateful that I did not resist His promptings as I began to pray as King David prayed, “Search me, Oh God, and know my heart…and if you find any hurtful way in me, change me, and lead me in the right way” (Ps. 139:23-24). I am thankful at this Thanksgiving season for what God has done, and continues to do, in my life in those areas that need “refining.”

And then there is the issue of always needing to be the “winner” in any area of competition. We need to remember that God has an “Upside Down” view of what’s important. Jesus said, “The first will be last, and the last first” (Mk. 10:28-31). The “first” are those who assume that they are superior because of their privileged and prestigious status in life. These are the ones who pushed others aside (like my former student) and got ahead while defying God and His commandments. The “last” are the humble who gladly receive the Good News that Jesus came to bring and have followed Him and will receive an abundance of blessings, both in this life and in the next.

And let’s not forget that Jesus set the example for all of us. Let me amplify what Paul said in 2 Cor. 8:9: “Though He was rich (while in heaven), yet for our sakes He became poor (when He came to earth), so that through His poverty (His life on earth, including his death, burial, and resurrection), we might become rich (in all of the earthly blessings we receive now, as well as in all of the heavenly blessings we will receive later.” We are all called to follow in His footsteps, by becoming His humble servants as we live out what it means to live in the “Kingdom of God.” And that Kingdom is an “upside down kingdom” in which the first will be last, and the last will be first.