Known For Excellence

Colossians 3:22-25

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters. (Colossians 3:23, NIV)

IF YOU WANT TO BE SALT AND LIGHT in this world according to Jesus’ promise (Matthew 5:13-16), you will want to be a higher quality than the kinds people are familiar with tasting and seeing. Contrary to the appearances Christendom has presented at times in recent history, you are not called to mediocrity. You are called to excellence. Though God gives us ample grace in every area of our lives, grace is not a license for halfhearted, lackluster work. If anyone should be known for creating and accomplishing excellent things, it should be those who are restored to the image of God.

Paul expressed this thought in a passage written to slaves—hardly the context most of us would want to apply to ourselves. Yet within these instructions is a priceless principle: All of us are servants of God. Like a good Father, he embraces us and encourages us even when we falter and stumble in our efforts. Like good children, our desire ought to be to give him our best. His Kingdom is marked by excellence; we should be pacesetters in establishing quality and completeness in this world.

You may be looking for a certain position or forum to serve as a platform for your influence for God’s Kingdom, but an even greater platform is excellence in the position or forum you already have. Whether you feel like going the extra mile for your supervisors or clients, your service to them is secondary. In reality, you are serving the Lord. The quality of your work gives credibility to your testimony and your identity. When you polish your natural gifts to their maximum glow and ask God to add his supernatural favor to them, things happen. People notice. And you become the salt and light that not only testifies of heaven but is valuable to this world.

{Father, make me a credible servant. Show me how to maximize the gifts and talents you’ve given me. Energize me to continually perfect them in the eyes of others and to serve you with them well. Draw the attentions of this world to the excellence of your Kingdom in me. Amen.