If you're going to do anything, do it properly. If I had a dollar for every time my mother said this to me growing up, I wouldn't have student loans. And she was right. Anything and everything that you do should be done to the best of your ability. Anything and everything in your life can minister to others. If everything you do is sloppily done or poorly put together, what message are you sending? (See also 1 Cor 10:31 & Col 3:17).
Sometimes, life is busy. Actually, most of the time, life is busy. There always seems to be so much to be done, and so little time to do it in. And the focus always seems to be on getting things done, and not necessarily on doing things well.
One of the lessons that my mother drilled into my head as a child (and an adult) is the importance of excellence, of doing things well. Sometimes getting it done is not enough, it needs to be done well. As representatives of Christ here on earth, this is doubly important, particularly in the ways that we serve others.
If everything we do, is done to God's glory, as Paul instructs us in 1 Corinthians 10:31, then we must work towards excellence, for God's glory is more than worth our best efforts. And if everything is in the name of Jesus, as Paul tells us in Colossians 3:17, then we must aim for excellence, for Jesus' name is worthy of it.
But what does that mean? It doesn't mean that we should do everything perfectly, at least, not according to our human standards of perfection, for sometimes the will of God is done through our mistakes. It does not mean either, that we should only attempt to do the things that we know we can do with great skill, for the glory of God is often done where our skill fails.
Doing things in excellence means that in everything we do, we give our best to it, not just physically, but also spiritually. We do all that we can to allow the will of God to be done for the glory of God. We give ourselves in all that we do, not halfheartedly, or with lackluster, but fully and completely. We are present in every task. We give our very best, our first fruits, our lambs without blemish.
Excellence is not about perfection. It's about the practice of sacrifice, the habit of being present in all that we do.
One of the lessons that my mother drilled into my head as a child (and an adult) is the importance of excellence, of doing things well. Sometimes getting it done is not enough, it needs to be done well. As representatives of Christ here on earth, this is doubly important, particularly in the ways that we serve others.
If everything we do, is done to God's glory, as Paul instructs us in 1 Corinthians 10:31, then we must work towards excellence, for God's glory is more than worth our best efforts. And if everything is in the name of Jesus, as Paul tells us in Colossians 3:17, then we must aim for excellence, for Jesus' name is worthy of it.
But what does that mean? It doesn't mean that we should do everything perfectly, at least, not according to our human standards of perfection, for sometimes the will of God is done through our mistakes. It does not mean either, that we should only attempt to do the things that we know we can do with great skill, for the glory of God is often done where our skill fails.
Doing things in excellence means that in everything we do, we give our best to it, not just physically, but also spiritually. We do all that we can to allow the will of God to be done for the glory of God. We give ourselves in all that we do, not halfheartedly, or with lackluster, but fully and completely. We are present in every task. We give our very best, our first fruits, our lambs without blemish.
Excellence is not about perfection. It's about the practice of sacrifice, the habit of being present in all that we do.
Be blessed and shine in excellence!
No comments:
Post a Comment
A person finds joy in giving an apt reply—
and how good is a timely word! -Prov 15:23