Question 1

How does God show us excellence?

Accepted Answer

Genesis 1:31God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good!Psalm 19:1The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship.The splendor of pristine creation—plants, animals, and people—was excellence in its purest form. Not only was the final product excellent, but it was excellent in every detail. The glory of the Creator was reflected in the excellence of his creation.Isaiah 35:2There will be an abundance of flowers and singing and joy! The deserts will become as green as the mountains of Lebanon, as lovely as Mount Carmel or the plain of Sharon. There the Lord will display his glory, the splendor of our God.All nature sings and displays a beauty of symmetry that surpasses expectations.

Question 2

Why is excellence encouraged by God? And why should we strive to be excellent?

Accepted Answer

Genesis 1:31God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good!Our work should be modeled after God’s work, because we bear image. When God created the earth, he lavished his energy and creativity on it. Every detail was given his full attention.Exodus 35:31-35“The Lord has filled Bezalel with the Spirit of God, giving him great wisdom, ability, and expertise in all kinds of crafts. He is a master craftsman, expert in working with gold, silver, and bronze. He is skilled in engraving and mounting gemstones and in carving wood. He is a master at every craft. And the Lord has given both him and Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach their skills to others. The Lord has given them special skills as engravers, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple, and scarlet thread on fine linen cloth, and weavers. They excel as craftsmen and as designers.”God places great value on excellence. He created each person with unique and special gifts to help us become especially excellent in certain ways.1 Chronicles 26:6Shemaiah had sons with great ability who earned positions of great authority in the clan.Excellence is highly valued by others. Those who strive for excellence are often promoted to significant positions in order to impact a greater number of people.2 Chronicles 30:21-22, 26The people of Israel who were present in Jerusalem joyously celebrated the Festival of Unleavened Bread for seven days. Each day the Levites and priests sang to the Lord, accompanied by loud instruments. Hezekiah encouraged all the Levites regarding the skill they displayed as they served the Lord. The celebration continued for seven days. Peace offerings were sacrificed, and the people gave thanks to the Lord, the God of their ancestors. . . . There was great joy in the city, for Jerusalem had not seen a celebration like this one since the days of Solomon, King David’s son.Excellence is appreciated. It inspires, satisfies, blesses, and motivates others.Nehemiah 13:13I assigned supervisors for the storerooms: . . . These men had an excellent reputation, and it was their job to make honest distributions to their fellow Levites.Luke 16:10-12“If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities. And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven? And if you are not faithful with other people’s things, why should you be trusted with things of your own?”Excellence usually enhances a person’s reputation. Word gets around if we are skilled and trustworthy. Soon, we may be entrusted with larger and more important matters. On the other hand, if our efforts are halfhearted—even in minor things—we may not be trusted with larger responsibilities.Ephesians 4:11-12Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.Striving for excellence urges us to make unique contributions based on the gifts God has given us.1 Peter 4:11Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.Excellence blesses others. An artist who strives for excellence can inspire others with thoughtfulness and beauty. Parents who work hard at raising their children can impact their children’s entire lives for the better. When we bless others with excellence, we honor and glorify God as well.1 Corinthians 9:26I [Paul] run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing.2 Corinthians 3:18The Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.2 Peter 1:3-4By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.Excellence in the Christian life is an indication that we are striving to be like Christ, who was and is excellent in every way.1 Corinthians 10:31Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.Colossians 3:16-17Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.Excellence is an act of worship.

Question 3

How can I pursue excellence?

Accepted Answer

Exodus 35:31-35The Lord has filled Bezalel with the Spirit of God, giving him great wisdom, ability, and expertise in all kinds of crafts. He is a master craftsman, expert in working with gold, silver, and bronze. He is skilled in engraving and mounting gemstones and in carving wood. He is a master at every craft. And the Lord has given both him and Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach their skills to others. The Lord has given them special skills as engravers, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple, and scarlet thread on fine linen cloth, and weavers. They excel as craftsmen and as designers.Romans 12:6-8In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.To pursue excellence, we should recognize the gifts and talents God has given us and use them as often as we can to the best of our ability.1 Chronicles 26:6Shemaiah had sons with great ability who earned positions of great authority in the clan.To pursue excellence, we should recognize excellence in others, encourage their efforts, and try to find key positions for them.Nehemiah 13:13I assigned supervisors for the storerooms: . . . These men had an excellent reputation, and it was their job to make honest distributions to their fellow Levites.2 Corinthians 3:1-3Are we beginning to praise ourselves again? Are we like others, who need to bring you letters of recommendation, or who ask you to write such letters on their behalf? Surely not! The only letter of recommendation we need is you yourselves. Your lives are a letter written in our hearts; everyone can read it and recognize our good work among you. Clearly, you are a letter from Christ showing the result of our ministry among you. This “letter” is written not with pen and ink, but with the Spirit of the living God. It is carved not on tablets of stone, but on human hearts.Philippians 1:3-5Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy, for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now.To pursue excellence, we should work hard to be someone with an excellent reputation who can be trusted with responsibility.Ephesians 5:1Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children.Hebrews 6:12-11Our great desire is that you will keep on loving others as long as life lasts, in order to make certain that what you hope for will come true. Then you will not become spiritually dull and indifferent. Instead, you will follow the example of those who are going to inherit God’s promises because of their faith and endurance.To pursue excellence, we should carefully watch the example of others as they pursue excellence or mediocrity. We should learn from the good examples and avoid the bad ones.Exodus 26:1“Make the Tabernacle from ten curtains of finely woven linen. Decorate the curtains with blue, purple, and scarlet thread and with skillfully embroidered cherubim.”Exodus 31:1-3Then the Lord said to Moses, “Look, I have specifically chosen Bezalel son of Uri, grandson of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. I have filled him with the Spirit of God, giving him great wisdom, ability, and expertise in all kinds of crafts.”Exodus 36:1“The Lord has gifted Bezalel, Oholiab, and the other skilled craftsmen with wisdom and ability to perform any task involved in building the sanctuary. Let them construct and furnish the Tabernacle, just as the Lord has commanded.”2 Chronicles 30:22Hezekiah encouraged all the Levites regarding the skill they displayed as they served the Lord. The celebration continued for seven days. Peace offerings were sacrificed, and the people gave thanks to the Lord, the God of their ancestors.Hosea 13:2Now they continue to sin by making silver idols, images shaped skillfully with human hands.Micah 7:3Both their hands are equally skilled at doing evil!To pursue excellence, we should recognize that excellence can be channeled in the wrong direction. We should be sure to pursue excellence in a way that serves God, not fights against him.Jeremiah 48:7Because you have trusted in your wealth and skill, you will be taken captive.To pursue excellence, we should remember that the point of excellence is to glorify God, not just to make ourselves look good. If we’re not careful, excellence can lead to pride. Pride not only harms our relationships with other people, it often tempts us to rely on our own strength instead of turning to God. As we feel less dependent on God, we begin to wander away from him. We should always remember that God gave us our skills and rely on his guidance in using them.

Question 4

What kind of life is more excellent than any other?

Accepted Answer

1 Corinthians 12:31You should earnestly desire the most helpful gifts. But now let me show you a way of life that is best of all.This “best of all” statement introduces the great love chapter of the Bible—1 Corinthians 13. Of all the excellent pursuits, a life dedicated to loving God and others is the most excellent. Love is the mark of excellence because love excels at helping others be all they can be.