Imagine a high profile boxing match at the famous Madison Square Garden. The place is packed with thousands of people waiting in anticipation for the most talked about heavy weight championship bout in history. Americans across the country are hosting pay per view house parties, sports bars are packed to capacity, even the President of the United States on Air Force One is watching from the skies above. All focus now is on these two muscle bulging gladiators, as they pace back and forth in their corners, eying each other like tigers in a cage ready to be released. The fighters are introduced, the bell rings, the crowd roars, the Champion and the Underdog charge at each other towards the center of the ring. They both juke and jive around the other, just waiting for the other to make their first move. Then suddenly the unthinkable happens. The heavy weight Champion of the world takes the first blow to his head. Everyone in the crowd gasps in unbelief. He receives another blow but this time to the body, even the Underdog can’t believe what is transpiring before his very eyes. It’s not that the Champ has never been beaten badly or smacked around before but what makes this bizarre, is the fact it’s not the Underdog who strikes the blows, it’s the Champ who is the one beating himself up. The Champ continues to smash his nose, giving himself another uppercut to the face, then another fierce body blow to his own ribs. After shaking his head in disbelief, the Underdog finally shrugs his shoulders and then delivers his first real punch to the face. However, he doesn’t direct his swing towards the Champ’s face, no, he slugs at his very own. The Underdog jabs and smacks his own face again and again, knocking out his mouth piece in the process. The crowd goes crazy with their cheers, not knowing what or who to cheer for. The boxers taunt each other while continuing to self inflict their bodies. “I’m going down!”, yells the Champ, “Not if I can help it! I’m going down first!”, cries the Underdog. Round after round goes on like this, neither fighter gives up, and neither fighter gives in. It’s a blood fest and both men who have trained and dedicated their bodies their whole lives to win for themselves, are now sacrificing their own bodies, for the sake of each other. Instead of competing against each other for the prize, they are now men striving to fight to the point of death for the other. No longer is the goal about winning but losing. No longer is it about fame and glory for their names but now they bleed for the glory of another, now they fight for something far greater than anything money can buy, now they fight for the sake of love. Can you imagine if that actually happened? The sports world would be turned upside down! Can you imagine as Christians if we were like that with our brothers and sisters in Christ? Can you imagine if we were like this in our marriages, our relationships with our friends, our co-workers, and in all our relationships we come in contact with on a daily basis? What if we lived our lives not to compete against each other so that we can come out on top but what if we lived our lives to try and outdo each other in love so that others would get ahead? The Apostle Paul in Romans 12:10, encourages us to “outdo” each other in genuine love. He wanted the body of Christ to love one another so much, that they would literally be trying to surpass each other by trying to exceed one another in love and service for one another. Wow, can you picture a church filled with people that are constantly trying to outshine each other in giving themselves up for each other? Imagine this conversation between two Christians, Moe and Larry. Moe says “Hey, I’m bringing over a meal for you and your family”. Larry replies, “Oh ya, well thank you brother, I’m going to make a meal for you too and I’m going to buy your groceries for the week”. Moe responds, “ Oh ya, well thank you but if you think you’re going to win so easily, think again, I’m going to buy your groceries for one whole month.” Larry counters back, “Oh ya, well I can’t let you get the upper hand brother, I’m going to buy your groceries for the whole month, cook your dinners, and do your dishes too.” Back and forth they go like players in a tennis match not wanting the other to outserve them in love. It’s a comical illustration but wouldn’t that be amazing? Yet the church today is so divided, we are supposed to be a body but instead of being a single unit, we all have our personal and selfish agendas. Instead of working together, the hand does its own thing, while it complains about the foot, who just ignores the hand. Then the head, signals for the mouth to speak but the mouth sings instead and the pinky toe gets jealous of the nose getting all the attention and the nose gets nosey and gossips about the elbow but the ear hears it and gets offended. He calls out the nose for blowing everything out of proportion, for being full of snot and calls him nothing but a “nose” it all! Enough of the puns, Jesus commands us to treat others as we would like to be treated. He tells us to love one another as ourselves. The problem is most Christians don’t love because we’ve forgotten how much we’re loved by God. I’m convinced if we would dwell and refresh our minds daily on Christ’s love for us, we would want nothing but to love others with a selfless love. Remember, scripture says, “We love because He first loved us”. We win in this life because He chose to lose. He chose to outdo others in honoring us. He left the comforts of heaven to be born in a manger. The King of Kings humbled Himself as a servant, and washed our feet. He didn’t choose a white steed pulling a golden chariot, instead He rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. He didn’t strut around in a palace wearing a crown of jewels, instead the lowly carpenter chose to live with the rejects and the sinners, He opted for the crown with the thorns. There’s a lot of hate in this world and it feels like love is the hardest art to learn but Christ painted a masterpiece of what this love looks like and it’s found hanging on the cross. The question is, where’s it found hanging in our lives? Does it hang on our bathroom walls? Maybe for us it’s time to redecorate and hang this picture front and center on the doorways of our hearts. If the body of Christ can begin to remind ourselves of this simple truth, that God is love, perhaps then we can practice this love for each other and then as we walk in unity, we can compete in love for the souls of the rest of the world. We can’t love unless we realize how much we truly are loved. We can’t love unless the God of love lives in us and is the center of our lives. So what will it be? Are you willing to lose it all for the sake of your fellow man? You ready to compete to outdo each other in love? Jesus did that for us. At one time we were His opponents in the ring but instead of fighting against us, He bled for us and took the body blows when they should’ve been directed towards us. He gave up the heavyweight title to give us the victory. He hoisted us on His shoulders and declared us to be the champions. Now as Champions of Christ, He looks to us. It’s our turn now, the bell dings, the crowd cheers, it’s time to show the world what they’re really missing. Now is the time we surrender our title, now is the time we bleed for the glory of another, now is the moment we fight for something far greater than ourselves. Now is the time we fight to lose, now is the time love wins.
Romans 12:10 English Standard Version (ESV)
10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.
1 John 4:19 New International Version (NIV)
19 We love because he first loved us.
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