Maybe you heard about the hair salon that opened right across the street from an old established barbershop.

They put up a big sign that read: “WE GIVE SEVEN DOLLAR HAIR CUTS!”

Not to be outdone, the old barber put up his own sign: “WE FIX SEVEN DOLLAR HAIR CUTS!”

Competition among businesses has always been good for customers. Generally, it means lower prices and friendlier service. But, competition between friends, relatives and neighbors is another story altogether. That kind of competition is frowned upon in the scriptures.

“Do nothing out of rivalry or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. Everyone should look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others” (Philippians 2:3).

In fact, Jesus commanded us to love one another, just as He has loved us. As we know, Jesus loved us so much that he gave his very life for us. There’s no greater love than that.

The Bible also calls for us to be “kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love,” “preferring one another” (Romans 12:10). “And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake has forgiven you” (Ephesians 4:32).

I’m glad we live in a place where those scriptures are considered second nature. In a world where the common philosophy tends to be to win no matter the cost and no matter who gets hurt, our corner of the world is different. We understand that the Bible calls us to be better than that.

“Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God, and knows God” (1 John 4:7).

I’m glad to live in an area where I get to see these scriptures modeled by so many good people every day. If one of our neighbors has a need, we’ll be there. If we can help someone in our families, we’re on it in a flash. If a friend is down, we lift him up, no questions asked.

So, what would happen if we were barbers and a new hair salon tried to undercut our business? The truth is, if we were barbers who loved our customers the way Jesus calls us to, there’s no new hair salon that could pull them away, even for $7 haircuts.

Roger Alford offers words of encouragement to residents of America’s heartland. Reach him at rogeralford1@gmail.com.