Excellance

Excellence, something we prefer from the products that we purchase or receive as well as expect from the people around us. When I think of excellence, I think of something that is far better than everything around it, something that surpasses all other standards. What my thoughts have been on is, that though we expect excellence from the products and people around us, then how much more does God want excellence from us?

Living a life of excellence means living at your best, giving your all. When the day comes to stand before God and answer for all you have done, He will not just ask what you have done, but how you have done it. He will be specifically looking for excellence. Did you give God only the leftovers or did you give Him the best you could, even in the smallest tasks in life? You see, God wants you to rise to a higher standard, He wants excellence in all you do!

God's excellence is to serve as your model -Sing unto the Lord; for he hath done excellent things: (Isaiah 12:5). God wants excellence from us because we are a child, made in His image!

Paul wrote in Philippians about not yet attaining, nor being perfect but instead pressing toward the mark for a prize of the high calling.

Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. -Philippians 3:12-14

I had to think, this is excellence. It isn't perfection, right here, right now, instead it is a calling to do all you can with what you all you have, right here, right now. Excellence is something that if you want to attain it, it requires constant pressing toward the mark and the calling to which God has called us! It requires effort from me, it doesn't just happen. But isn't that what the Christian walk is, effort and time. It requires me to be there and take action.

I have really thought a lot about this excellence this past week, then looking over my life and my walk with the Lord, I see that there are areas that I like to slide under the rug and think that God probably doesn't care about it to much if I don't do my best. But that is not the case. God wants me (and you) to do our best in everything and every part of our lives. No matter how small and unimportant it may seem, God cares and wants our best effort put forth.

So I challenge you to ask God, that He may show you as you look over your life, any areas that maybe you aren't putting forth the excellence that He would like to see in that particular area. It might not be easy or fun, but I promise, the reward is so worth it!

And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not unto men. -Colossians 3:23