As we left the office, I saw a young man closing the shop after hours. Everyone had left, but he was still tidying the shelves and wiping the counter. It wasn’t his shop, yet he worked like it was. That’s an excellent spirit — giving your best without a title.
Friend, are you manifesting excellence, or are you just waiting for a position before you start (Colossians 3:23-24)? Excellence is not seen in the compliments you get or the role you hold. It is seen in the standard you carry when no one is watching. This is the kind of person God is looking for in life, work, business, and ministry (2 Chronicles 16:9).
God’s testimony about Daniel is worth noting: “An excellent spirit was found in him” (Daniel 6:3). Does God find that in you? The way God measures excellence is different from how men measure it. Men often measure by title, salary, and applause. God measures by faithfulness, integrity, and consistency in private (Psalm 78:70-72).
Some people look excellent in public but are careless in private (Matthew 23:27). They deliver well at work but are sloppy at home. They serve well on the pulpit but are lazy in their personal walk with God. If you cannot be excellent where no one is clapping, you won’t sustain it where everyone is watching (1 Samuel 17:34-37).
Excellence is not just for those with big platforms (Ecclesiastes 9:10). It is for those who carry the life of Christ and the influence of the Holy Spirit into everything they do. You don’t have to be a CEO or a pastor to manifest excellence. You just have to refuse to settle for less than your best (2 Kings 9:24).
Dear young man or woman, ensure you are growing into someone who carries an excellent spirit (Luke 2:40, 52). Don’t choose mediocrity because no one is checking. Don’t lower your standard because the environment is casual. Don’t wait for a promotion before you start giving your best (Genesis 39:1-6).
Excellence in little things builds trust for big things (Luke 16:10-12). Excellence in private builds testimony in public. Excellence in work builds honour in ministry. Excellence in character builds influence in life. Manifest it today. Not for applause. Not for position. But because you carry Christ, and He does not do average (Colossians 1:27).
‘Demola Awoyele
Lead Pastor,
Destiny Impact Church
Akure, Nigeria