Deuteronomy 28:13
And the LORD shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the LORD thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them.
Excellence is getting things done with the best resources in the best way and manner. Mediocrity is the opposite. I am concerned about how many Christians are waiting for God to show up and take them to Heaven to enjoy everlasting life but accept to live in absolute degradation on earth while waiting for heaven.
God has promised us everlasting life and great rewards in heaven but the same God has also promised us the days of Heaven on earth. Jesus said in His prayers, ‘Let thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven’ and we know that God always answer Jesus’ prayer. Simply put, God has made heaven’s provisions available to us right now and here on earth. I want you to be aware that everlasting life, the God-kind-of-life is in you right now.
Everlasting life is neither a promise nor a prophecy it is a present tense reality for those that are born of God, so get the party started now. We are now the sons of God; the Kingdom of God is not in the future, it begins right now within you. All you have to do is to bring the kingdom out onto the world stage. The best of the best should be found with and among the children of God because the Kingdom of God is the best anywhere, anytime, both in this world and in the one to come.
From the above scripture we see that God’s mind is made up on where He wants you to be in life, that is, at the top. Not being on top sometimes but at all times. Daniel and His friends in Daniel chapter 1 proved it is possible; many in the Bible have done the same. It is now time to show that it is still possible today.
I discovered from my research on the secret of excellence that it starts with a decision to be excellent no matter what the conditions look like. This decision is followed by an absolute commitment to that path regardless of the status quo. This is where the boys get separated from the men. Because when the going gets tough the tough get going and the sissies pull out. You are not a sissy in Jesus name!
In the face of death and losing royal privileges Daniel and His companions in the book of Daniel 1, decided they were not going to defile themselves with the king’s meat because the food had been offered to idols and not to God.
To excel in and through Christ means to be absolutely sold out to His ways and principles. When your ways and God’s ways are in conflict drop your way and take His way. This means you are consistently Christ’s and not in and out whether in business, school, marriage, ministry or in any other area of life.
In Deuteronomy 28:1-2 God demanded absolute loyalty to His commandments for Israel to enjoy total excellence. In the New Testament Jesus coined the entire commandments in response to a question. Matthew 22:36-40, “Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”
If you miss out on God’s law of love you will miss out on total excellence. The ungodly’s way to excellence is by stepping on somebody to get to the top. God’s way is to set you up regardless of what your enemies do. But if you follow the world’s pattern God cannot do much for you because He would not use the enemy’s tool.
Daniel and his companions decided in their hearts to follow God’s pattern of excellence and stuck to their guns not to defile themselves. It takes a heart to make a mark. Excellence is God’s plan for us but you have to set yourself right in God’s plan and do it whole-heartedly and with your best ability. Then you will ride on to your high places.
Finally, I have found out that the people you hang out with will determine if you will excel or not. Please be aware that you become who you hang around with. So be wise with the company you keep. If discipline, integrity and consistency are not in your vocabulary you are not ready for excellence. I pray that the Lord will make you of quick understanding.
A wise man said, you will remain the same person you are today, in the next five years except for the books you read and the people you meet.
For further Study
Deuteronomy 28:1-2, Daniel 1
Personal declaration for the day
I will pay the price for excellence and do things excellently.
Questions for you to reflect on
How much do want excellence?
What steps are you taking towards excellence?
Comments & Testimonials