Word of the week - Excellence - Part II - What it looks like in Business, Ministry and our Personal Lives
And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God. Philippians 1:9-11 (NKJV)In continuation from last week, more on the spirit of Excellence: 1) Power of Excellence, 2) what it looks like in Business and 3) what it looks like in our Personal Lives and Ministries.
Power of Excellence: My good friend Lee Domingue who leads our Legacy lane at Church of the Highlands, sent me this verse and message on Excellence and it really resonated with me, so I am passing his message along with a few of my own thoughts. I believe that one of the best witnesses we can offer to nonbelievers is to operate in all we do with a spirit of Excellence. If we have a desire to represent Jesus well in our businesses, ministries and families, we need to be Excellent in all things! We are not helping His cause if we are flaky, unorganized, poor stewards of our lives, ministries and businesses, looking for the short-cuts, and not holding true to our word or commitments. On the other hand, how strong is our witness if we are operating our lives with a spirit of Excellence?Excellence in Business: Rather than displaying a Christian fish symbol on all our marketing materials, if we simply conduct our lives and run our businesses with Excellence and integrity the world around us cannot help but stop and take notice. So what does it look like to be Excellent in business: 1) Having a heart and attitude of service, 2) being honest and transparent in all of your dealings, 3) striving to exceed expectations, 4) desiring to go above and beyond the call of duty and walk the extra mile, 5) taking responsibility when you make mistakes and being candid and timely in addressing any issues, and 6) being proactive and taking ownership. All of these things work together to create a spirit of Excellence. Walking in Excellence consistently over time will result in being a positive witness for the Gospel of Jesus. This creates opportunity for us to share our faith and influence others for the Kingdom. As I mentioned las week, we have an amazing opportunity to use our business as a platform for the gospel. The T-factor conference https://t-factor.com/#overview, is a great resource for what it looks like to run and operate a business with Excellence from an Eternal Perspective. I am planning to host a T-factor conference in Birmingham in early 2020.Excellence in our Personal Lives and Ministries:The spirit of Excellence is important in the market place where we are compensated to provide goods and services but how much more the opportunity for impact in our personal lives within our families and ministries where our motivation and reward is not monetary but eternal. I believe this really speaks to the condition of our hearts, our love for the Lord and our faith in Christ. Here are a few areas to consider as we take inventory on our personal lives: Are we treating all people (rich or poor, friend or foe, family or stranger) with the same love and grace that the Lord has extended to each of us? Are we treating those closest to us such as spouse and co-workers with sincere love and consideration or taking them for granted? Are we parenting with Excellence, and investing in our children even when it is hard and painful? When we are alone, are we spending our free time in a healthy manner that is pleasing to God? Are we pursuing our relationship with God in an excellent manner by making Him the priority in our lives by giving Him our first and best fruits opposed to the left overs? Are we giving our tithes and offerings with Excellence, with the same energy and passion we use when investing in other things like vacations, hobbies etc? Let’s examine all areas of our lives to determine if we are living with Excellence in all things.Closing thoughts of Encouragement: Make a decision today, to bring a spirit of Excellence into everything you do. Please understand that Excellence does not mean perfection. Nobody is perfect. Excellence simply means that your heart is open to giving God your very best in all things, that you allow integrity to guide you, and you do your best to walk with the Spirit of God. If you desire to be an ambassador for Christ, then choose Excellence every day. Ask God to help you. And remember, His Spirit, which is the source of all Excellence, lives on the inside of you, so be encouraged…You can be Excellent in and through Christ!!!“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” Philippians 4:13-Duane