Grace lets you root for your rival. You’re not competing for the same love.

Rivalry runs on the assumption that there is a fixed amount of good going round and they are taking your share. Grace removes the premise. God’s love is not handed out competitively, so somebody else doing well takes nothing from you. That frees you to actually want good things for the person you are up against.

Say something genuinely complimentary about your rival when they are not in the room. Notice the small relief in not having to hope they fail. You can still compete hard, and you can shake their hand and mean it.