Satan challenged God because he wanted to be first. God, on the other hand, competes with no one. Nor does He desire us to compete with each other.

Envy is a work of the flesh, involving coveting. A significant example of envy is found in the relationship of the two wives of Elkanah, Hannah and Peninnah.

Deuteronomy 4:24 may strike an astute reader as somewhat controversial, if not contradictory. How can our holy and perfect God be jealous?

Competition is the root cause of war, business takeovers, and marital discord. Solomon describes man's rivalry with one another as a striving after wind.

Hannah gave up the very thing she asked for. Her willingness to give God her most precious possession stands on par with Abraham's renowned sacrifice of Isaac.

Competition in the church can lead to disaster, destroying harmony and unity. Competition and pride destroy unity; humility and cooperation enhance unity.

Solomon provides these comparisons to indicate the choices we should make to live better lives in alignment with God, even in an 'nder the sun' world.

Prosperity is not always an emblem of God's approval. God will not prosper us if it would cause spiritual damage, insulating us from seeking His kingdom.

The competitive spirit to dominate a competitor, not confined to athletic contests, militates against God's mandate that we esteem others over ourselves.

Excellence is greatly emphasized in athletics and in the business world. Yet none of the excellence sought after today is what Christians are to seek.

Many of God's servants, including Elijah and Jeremiah, had their crises of faith, desiring to flee from their responsibilities and commitments.

Societal incivility, discourtesy, and in-your-face attitudes (works of the flesh) have manifested themselves in the church of God, but contradict agape.

Like the symphony orchestra, only as an instrumentalist submits to the leader, working with the other members of the ensemble, can unity be accomplished.

Real repentance and conviction of righteousness should dramatically augment prayer, study, meditation, but most importantly, how we live our lives.

We dare not let the sun go down on our wrath. Uncontrolled anger can be a major cause of mental and physical illness. We must reconcile with our adversaries.

Satan champions self-opinion and mob behavior. God's church has never been immune to division because each member has only part of the truth.

We must separate ourselves from the world, sacrificing ourselves to God's purpose to become at one with God, waiting for Him to unify us to others.

We must remember what we were and how far God has brought us out of that place, pulled out of the muck and brought into His glory.

The twin sons of Isaac, Esau and Jacob, are a classic model of sibling rivalry, and their contentious relationship has had a tremendous impact on history.