Lesson 11: Our Competitive Selves

I've been reading this book called Compassion by Henri Nouwen and Donald McNeill who are suppose to be legit. Anyways, out of all the chapters that I've read, chapter 1 has spoke to be the most when Nouwen rights about our competitive selves.

Nouwen points out that when we look at ourselves, we have to recognize that competition, not compassion, is our main motivation in life. When I first read this I didn't relate to it because I didn't think I was that competative of a person. But then, Nouwen continued by saying, "Our whole sense of self is dependent upon the way we compare ourselves with others and upon the differences we can identify." As soon as I read this, I said, "that's me," I gain a lot of my value based on how I am in comparison to others. And it is upon these positive or negative distinctions that much of our self-esteem depends.

I don't want my value based on how I compare myself with others. I don't want my self-esteem based on that either. Rather I want my value to based on God.

"To receive a new self, a new identity, which depends not on what we can achieve, but on what we are willing to receive is the mysetery of the Christian life." I want to freely recieve from God and accept his love.