“The christian shoemaker does his Christian duty not by putting little crosses on the shoes but by making good shoes because God is interested in good craftsmanship.” This quote by Martin Luther is highly instructive, especially at a time when people are bringing disrepute to the name of God. Truly, God wants us to honour Him with our work.
Friend, honour God with your work. Excellence honours God. Mediocrity does the exact opposite. Your greatest motivation for pursuing excellence should not be to prove a point to people; it must be to honour God. Since God is an excellent God, then we must serve Him with excellence. We must honour Him with the way we do things and live our lives generally (2 Samuel 24:24, Psalms 8:9).
What made the sacrifice of Abel accepted is not the type of sacrifice he brought but the excellence with which he did it (Hebrews 11:4). God would not ask you to bring what you don’t have. But He expects you to give Him the best at your level. When you understand this, you would quit giving excuses for mediocrity in your life.
Excellence is not perfection. It is not flawlessness. Excellence is simply giving your best to your task (1 Timothy 4:15). If you are a janitor, you would do it the best way possible. If you are a teacher, you would give your best to your students and school. And if you are a pastor, you would go the extra mile caring for the sheep (1 Samuel 17:34-37, Jeremiah 3:15, Psalms 78:70-72).
Anytime you do a shabby job, you are dishonouring God without knowing (Ephesians 6:7). As an employee, you are not only doing enough to get a salary, you are doing service that honours God. Sometimes, you have to do more than you are paid, as unto the Lord (Ephesians 6:5-8). This is the portrait of Kingdom people.
You cannot point people to Jesus with mediocrity (Matthew 5:16). It is only when Jesus is lifted up in excellence that He would draw all men to Himself, whether in the banking hall, in the courtroom, or behind the podium in Church. Excellence honours God. Learn to honour God with your work.
‘Demola Awoyele
Lead Pastor,
Destiny Impact Church
Akure, Nigeria