Colossians 3:23 "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men."
My husband came home from Bible Study one night saying he'd been impressed by a conversation from a fellow Believer. He said that this man talked about doing everything with "Excellence". Needless to say, this word "Excellence", has consumed my thoughts lately. You could say that "Excellence" means to work heartily for the Lord in that whatever we do whether it is deemed significant by others or the most menial insignificant task, it should be done for the glory of God. Pursuing "Excellence" is about doing our best in whatever we are involved in, be it a sporting event, a job situation, loving a friend, or helping a neighbor. Often "Excellence" is choosing between what is good and what is best or excellent knowing that it will be more apt to enable us to do what God has created us to be or do.
Think about this. "Excellence" is doing common things in uncommon ways. It is not settling for the ordinary but going above and beyond. 1st Corinthians 10:31 tells us that whatever we eat or drink or in whatever we do we should do it in such a way that others will take notice and be able to catch a glimpse of our Savior. I remember when we were selling our home to move on the outskirts of the city. We worked for days trying to get our home into the best condition possible so that buyer's would be drawn to it and the house wouldn't be on the market for very long. We worked diligently sprucing everything that could think of in order for the house to have the best possible showing. This should be the same reasoning we have in whatever we set out to do, give our absolute best at all times.
Pursuing "Excellence" is really a matter of the heart that comes from a relationship with God. Our heart is the central core of who we are and what we are made up of. The Bible tells us that out of the heart the mouth speaks and it is a wellspring from which our values, principles and motives show forth. Knowing this, I believe that it is very important to consider that in striving for "Excellence" we must consider our attitude. Our attitude can either fuel our passions and strengthen our determination or it can extinguish our passions and kill our joy. Whenever someone at our home says they have to do something my husband always chimes in "You Get To". . . What a perfect example of an attitude shift. God is enabling; therefore, it is a privilege to serve and in that serving we should work towards "Excellence" at all times. "Excellence" doesn't mean perfection, mind you, but an effort to do our absolute best. And the beautiful thing about our striving is that God will give us what we need to complete the task. He enables us to do exceedingly more than we could ever dream or imagine. If He is in it, you can bet He will equip us to do what He desires.
Let's make "Excellence" our shibboleth that sets us apart from the world! (shibboleth - slogan distinguishing a set of people)
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Personalize this prayer.
Dear Lord,
From this moment on I want to strive for "Excellence" in all that I say and do. I realize that as a Christian, I am re-presenting all of who You are to everyone I come in contact with. I want to leave a lasting impact on their lives and give them a glorious glimpse of who You are. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit and empower me to do exceedingly more than I am capable on my own. Love, speak, and work through me to be the best possible witness I can be. You are my Savior, my Lord, the Great I Am, and the King of Kings, and no one can compare with Your greatness! I pray that my life gives testimony of Your enduring love and faithfulness at all times.
In Jesus Name,
Amen
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