Christ Followers in KiasuLand

Have you met any "kiasus" ( Hokkien word to describe someone who is afraid of losing) recently? It's really easy to spot one. Some characteristics of "kiasus" are:

Their favourite words are "Me", "Myself", "Mine" and "I" in big bold capital letters.

They make choices solely on the basis of what benefits them the most.

They are resistant to the fact that anyone can be better than them.

They want to win at all cost, even willing to sacrifice integrity, relationships and health at the altar of success.

If you have problems finding a "kiasu", let me tell you a place where you can likely find one. Look at the mirror! Jab! Jab! Ouch! That's painful, isn't it? But it is so terribly true. Let's admit it. We live in a "me" era. However, many of us are sophisticated enough to mask our "kiasuism" with subtle packaging. Our pride is called ambition. Our greed is named "hunger for growth". Our seeking for fame and popularity is hidden under the veneer of "marketing our talents and skills".

Don't get me wrong. I am not anti – growth or anti- competition.

Godly stewardship of our marketplace position entails a strong focus on productivity, growth and profitability. However, my concern is that we may focus entirely on self interested motivations and on winning at all cost that we end up being another "kiasu" in kiasuland. Surely, our calling as marketplace Christians should compel us to see beyond salaries, profitability and increasing of
market share.

Laura Nash in her book "Believers in Business", noted a covenantal approach among some evangelicals to the competitive drive in business. In a covenantal approach, the first question asked is not, How much money did we make? but How is the customer faring? In other words, the primary purpose of Christians in the marketplace is the creation of value for others. In Philippians 2 v 4, the Bible said, "Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others." That seems to be a value creating call to me. And, it is also a warning against "kiasuism".

I'll end with some questions on how we can create value for others:

In your workplace, what does it mean to be more of a giver than a taker when it comes to adding value to your organization?

Is your organization a better place to work because you are on the payroll?

If Christ were to have your job, how would He create value for your bosses, peers, subordinates, clients and society at large?

As Christ followers, let's focus on creating value for others. It's the antidote to being a self seeking "kiasu".

Wong Fook Meng
Graduate Christian Fellow i-Commentary