Anything You Can Do I Can Do Better

Proverbs 11:2
When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom.

I was employed at a place once where a person that was in leadership always tried to "one-up" you. This person would always come around to where you were working and try to show you how they could do it better. If you were telling a story, their story was better. If you were digging a hole, they could dig it much better. Well as a matter of fact one day another guy and myself were digging a hole together. This person stopped by in their work vehicle and began to inform us on proper shovel and hole digging technique. After he was finished with those two shovels of dirt he moved he left again. The other man I was working with was much older than me and the boss that drove away. He quietly began to sing, "Anything you can do, I can do better. I can do anything better than you..." I choked laughing so hard.

Well the day came... We were on a huge job that required much work, much careful work. Everything was rolling smooth and then all of the sudden that old truck pulled up. Eyes began to roll and moans began to roar. He came straight to the backhoe and told the person on it to move out of the way and let him show you how it's done. I smiled! He placed that bucket into the ground and began to pull out a huge pile of dirt when all of the sudden it happened. Water began to shoot straight up in the sky and people ran for cover. He had hit the water main and busted the pipe. I'll have to admit that my smile seemed to touch my ears now. He had tried so hard to be better than everyone that his pride brought him shame. As long as I worked at this place no one, and I mean no one, let him live that down.

I wonder how many of you are trying your best to be better than those before you, or even beside you? As soon as you mess up or make a mistake you are going to feel this same discouragement that this man felt. You're going to suffer defeat because you set yourself up. You have lived that, "Anything you can do, I can do better" lifestyle far too long. I don't understand why, but ever since we were born we desire to be better than others around us. Don't get me wrong, we should strive to be the best we can be but not strive to be better than the one beside us. Well let me say this... The best you can muster up isn't enough! You need the righteousness of Jesus.

Stop trying to be better. Stop trying to out-do those before or around you. Surrender to Christ and allow Him to mold you and make you into what He desires for His will and purpose.