As my son enters the world of competitive sports this spring, I ponder the issue of rivalry. OK, so it’s just T-ball, but even that can be serious business! 

We see rivalry play out every day in sports from the Super Bowl to the Olympics, and even trickling down to Little League baseball. Yet it also manifests itself in other areas of life: school rivalry, sibling rivalry and even spiritual rivalry. The pressure to outperform others, to rise above the other guy, lurks in every facet of life. 

I believe in the need for competition, whether in schools, sports, the workplace or the free market. Competition raises the bar, forcing us to achieve at our highest potential. Yet sometimes rivalry takes competition to an unhealthy level.

The first case of rivalry recorded in the Bible exists between brothers — a sibling rivalry. Cain, a man’s man, enjoys working with his hands and finds fulfillment in manual labor. Abel, Cain’s younger brother, appears more introspective and nurturing. Two very different men. Two brothers at odds.

The Bible tells us that Cain’s jealousy rages so deeply against Abel that he kills him. “The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast ... And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.” (Genesis 4:4-5, 8b, NIV.)

To fully understand this rivalry, we must ask ourselves a few questions. What was the difference between the two brothers’ offerings? Why did God favor Abel’s offering more than Cain’s? What drove Cain to take such extreme measures?

First, let’s consider their offerings. The Bible tells us, “Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock.” (Genesis 4:2b-3, NIV.) Cain brought “some” of his crop, while Abel brought “fat portions.” These words imply that Cain did not give his best to God. God does not want “some” of what we have to offer. He wants the best of what we have to offer. “You must present as the Lord’s portion the best and holiest part of everything given to you.” (Numbers 18:29, NIV.)

Second, God favored Abel’s offering more than Cain’s because it reflected the conditions of their hearts. The gospel of Matthew tells us, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:21, NIV.) By withholding his best from God, Cain elevated his possessions above his relationship with God. Abel, on the other hand, revealed a heart of reverence, obedience and gratitude by surrendering his very best to God.

Finally, we wonder why Cain felt compelled to kill his brother. We all wrestle with occasional feelings of anger, inferiority and envy. Yet we do not take lives to appease our jealous appetites. 

God knew a dangerous fury bubbled within Cain’s heart. God warned him about succumbing to this rage. “God spoke to Cain, ‘Why this tantrum? Why the sulking? If you do well, won’t you be accepted? And if you don’t do well, sin is lying in wait for you, ready to pounce; it’s out to get you, you’ve got to master it.’” (Genesis 4:6-7, MSG.)

Cain allowed his anger to “master,” or overtake, him. He did not suppress the evil enmity he felt toward his brother. Cain felt threatened by Abel, even inferior. God told Cain that sin wanted control over his life; Cain yielded to sin, which resulted in tragedy.

Cain could have avoided this tragedy if he had focused on the end goal: cultivating a healthy relationship with God. Instead he succumbed to jealousy, insecurity, bitterness and anger.  

Although some competition proves beneficial — pushing people to try harder, work smarter and perform better — too much opposition can result in a harmful rivalry. When we feel the need to prove something to others, to ourselves or to God, we walk a tightrope of insecurity. We gingerly wobble side to side, trying not to fall before we reach our end goal. We avoid this treacherous balancing act by finding confidence in the person God created us to be. Only then will we lose the need to rise above others. Only then will we remove unhealthy rivalries from our lives.

Elizabeth Oates (B.A. Baylor University; M.A.C.E. Dallas Theological Seminary) is a wife, mother and freelance writer. She and her husband, Brandon, founded Project Restoration Ministry. For more information on Elizabeth’s Bible study curriculum, Dealing with Divorce: Finding Directon When Your Parents Split Up, or to e-mail her, go to the Web site www.projectrestorationministry.org.