Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm ~ Daniel 6:3.
Introduction:
The development of excellence is not a day’s job. To get ahead with excellence, you must start with a dream and pursue it with courage. Therein lies the spirit that sets the preference, making the difference and causing men to excel in life (Daniel 5:10-12; 6:1-3). Commitment is the regular price of excellence.
Many people today have unwittingly accepted the durable myth that the potential to excel in any given pursuit is wholly determined by supernatural endowment. Consequently, they fling open their doors to many hideous enemies of accomplishment, including slothfulness, foolishness, immaturity, negative attitudes, fear and, especially, the spirit of shoddiness.
They perform carelessly, sloppily and thoughtlessly, leaving important tasks — including God’s assignment in their hands —undone, half-done or with unacceptable quality. This is glaringly disrespectful to the spirit of excellence, and it naturally attracts dire consequences.
Our God is the Excellent God (Psalms 8:1). Everything about Him is excellent, and He only accepts excellent deeds (Isaiah 28:29; Hebrews 11:4). Our Lord Jesus Christ is also excellent in all ways; His appearance, speech, miracles and deeds were excellent altogether (Mark 8:22-25).
Today, because he was made in the image of God’s excellency, man must choose excellence in the face of pervading mediocrity (Genesis 1:31; 2:7; Psalms 8:4-5). And, in particular, as God’s standard bearers on earth, the Christian man must deliberately strive to excel always, remembering that the Spirit of the Excellent God dwells in him (Colossians 1:27).
Fundamentals of Excellence
Excellence is the state of being outstanding, doing more than you have to do or surpassing the limits to show superiority. The excellent man habitually does things well, whether they are big or small, consequential or otherwise, both publicly and privately. He possesses many good qualities in unusual degrees, and will vigorously pursue to do and to be the best he can be with the divine gifts and abilities endowed him, to the glory of God (Colossians 3:23).
In its real sense, excellence is powered by the Holy Spirit (Daniel 5:11). It is a stream flowing from the attributes of genuine devotion to God and a right-standing with Him. Truly, it may be very costly to be manifestly excellent, but it is worth it. Excellence attracts excellence.
Where you were born and how you were born are no issues of serious consequence on your life's accomplishments. Albeit, you must deliberately move away from the tight spots of mediocrity to the big platform of excellence. There is a great future in your small present if you will only allow excellence to sharpen your destiny.
Yes, the excellent spirit could be nurtured in obscurity, but it wouldn’t dwell there for too long. Inside excellence are light, understanding and wisdom. In a man of excellence is found insight, direction and guidance, dissolving doubts and clearing confusions. Besides, the spirit of excellence is trans-generationally relevant, transcending kingdoms and outliving rulers.
Accessing And Maintaining the Excellent Spirit
Never envy in anyone what you can pay the price to become by a sincere application of divine principles. The more you read and meditate on God’s Word, the more you know God and yourself, and the more you are able to function like Him (2 Corinthians 3:18).
The first port of access to the spirit of excellence is becoming a child of God through a genuine encounter with Jesus Christ. The glory and the excellency of God are most fully displayed “in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6). Turning to Him supernaturally works the miracle of excellence (2 Corinthians 3:16). Albeit, having done this, always keep in mind that the chief end of the Christian life is to glorify God in all our kingdom services and through our persistent Christian living (1 Peter 2:9).
Moreover, you need to admit wisdom for excellence in your everyday life. There is nothing really magical about excellence in life; it is hinged on and powered by constant improvement on the work at hand. Your willingness to work deliberately on your life and destiny is one of the critical factors which determine your excellence.
Wisdom shows that God already gave each of us a remarkable capacity to influence our own outcomes in life by what we repeatedly do. There could be obstacles. There will be doubters. There may be mistakes. But with God and hard work, there are no limits, particularly if we continue to maintain a high level of excellence.
Achieving success in nurturing the excellent spirit is certainly connected to action. Be passionate in action, but keep your focus. Work hard and intermittently seek expert feedback. Of course, you may have to occasionally sacrifice something — your time, money, pastimes, ego, energy, etc — in order to achieve the desired result. Wisdom rules that excellence is simply "gain from pain".
Finally, in order to successfully nurture excellence, you must make it a regular practice. Practice sharpens skills. If you have talents and never practice, someone of lesser talent but with greater practices will certainly beat you out every time. Consistent training and regular practice lead to mastery.
However, divine endowments cannot be left out of the equation here. When trainings take a man to the limit of his capacity, he must start trusting God. That's the road to glory, and the very path to success: working to the very limit of your capacity, and keeping the rest in the hands of God.
Training in excellence may sometimes be difficult and the least intrinsically enjoyable. But, if you choose to be really good at anything, even kingdom services, keep in mind that it’s going to involve relentlessly pushing past your comfort zone, along with discouragement and, sometimes, setbacks (Galatians 2:21). Even then, excellence can be immensely satisfying.
Friends, do whatever it takes under God to be excellent. Go for capacity building. Pay attention to details. In everything you do, ask yourself these pertinent questions: is this well done or half-done? Is this the best I can give? Did I give it my all? Am I honestly happy with this? And, most importantly, would God be pleased with this?
You are destined for the top, and with an excellent spirit, you are right on course on your pathway to incredible accomplishments. Add enthusiasm to everything you are involved in. Choose to do ordinary things in extraordinary ways. Devote your talents to God. Stand out. Be zealous. Give it all it takes. Be the best that you can be for God.
As you do, your excellent results will come. Your testimonies will be so pronounced. Your breakthrough will shock your world. Men will honor you. Nations will sing your song, and your dance will be jubilant. Indeed, this is the season for your beauty to burst forth in the eyes of the beholders. Excel! You won't miss it, in Jesus Name. Amen. Happy Sunday!
Rhema Christian Church,
Otta, Ogun State, Nigeria.
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