Most of us prefer excellence. We expect it in the medical care we receive, preparation of the food we consume in a restaurant, craftmanship of the airplane on which we are flying, and the craftmanship of the car that we buy, yet we often lack excellence in the things that we do. A kingdom woman understands her unique position calls her to a higher standard than what the culture has set.
When you stand before God one day, He will not only ask how much you did for Him, but He will also judge how excellent it was. Did you merely give God your leftovers, or was quality attached to your life even in the mundane tasks? He desires excellence in ALL you do, and it will not go unnoticed.
1 Cor 3:13 “Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.”
In the biblical story of Ruth, Ruth was a widow and did not have money or property. She had traveled with her mother-in-law to a new land, and to simply get by she gathered the leftovers from the farmers in the field after they had reaped the harvest. Ruth performed her job with excellence even though she probably thought no one would even notice how well she did such a mundane job. Because she exemplified excellence in all of her decisions and actions, she was later rewarded as she became the wife of a man named Boaz and then the great-grandmother of King David—one of the direct ancestors of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ruth’s reputation spoke volumes about her character, so God lifted her from a low position and situated her in a life of honor.
Success is defined by how much money you make, the job you have, and/or the prestige you receive. Excellence is a spiritual issue, not concerned with how you compare with others. Excellence is concerned with how you are compared to the potential of how you are supposed to be—God’s destiny for you. Excellence does not mean perfection but doing all you can with all you have at that moment. The measure of true excellence is progressively pressing toward what God wants for you. It is defining your decisions, thoughts, and actions by the highest quality and authenticity you have to offer. While success belongs to a few, excellence is available to all.
The secret to your life as a kingdom woman: a short-term memory coupled with a clear direction.
You have to forget yesterday—let it go—like Paul in Phil 3:12-14 “I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me…forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
Looking into the rearview mirror at all the “would haves, could haves, and should haves” just slows down our forward journey. As you look forward those images in the rearview mirror get smaller, and smaller, then no longer in view.
Why strive for excellence? Because of “that day.” The day we stand before Jesus and if the service we have offered Him is excellent we will hear those blessed words, “Well done, good and faithful servant…enter into the joy of your Master.” Matt 25:23
Where does the Lord prick your heart to do more, go further, or raise the bar? Excellence on earth is not a destination but a continual process of transformation into who God wants us to be. When we choose excellence, God gets the glory AND we benefit from walking in the fullness of this joy on earth and investing in the pleasures of eternity in Heaven.
