Strive For Excellence (2)

We established last week that whatever stage we are in life, God’s desire is for us to excel. This week, I want us to begin to consider some important points on the subject of excellence.

1. Striving for excellence is not a desire for superiority over others

Generally, the world defines excellence with terms that imply competition with others. Most people only think of excellence in the context of comparing themselves with other people. In fact, the dictionary synonyms for excellence are words like “surpass”, “transcend” and “outdo”-words that are usually associated with some kind of competition.

We often find people trapped in this snare of doing all they can simply to outdo others. With the advent of the social media, it has become even much easier for people to follow trends, observe the patterns and events in the lives of their contemporaries and then attempt to either achieve the same things or aim to “surpass” other people in the name of excellence.

It is important to point out that living our lives constantly comparing ourselves with others is described in the Bible as a demonstration of a lack of understanding:

“For we don’t dare classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. But in measuring themselves by themselves and comparing themselves to themselves, they lack understanding” 2^ndCorinthians 10:12

Other people’s lives may serve as an encouragement to us and their pattern of life or achievements may spur us on but they should not be our standard of comparison. Our standard as we desire and strive to excel, actually, is Christ Jesus. This is the point Paul made in 1^st Corinthians 11:1:

“Imitate me, as I also imitate Christ”

The same point is echoed in Hebrews 12:1 & 2:

“…let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus…”

Furthermore, as I pointed out in the last post, the word used in the Greek New Testament for “excel” does not connote or imply any competition with other people. As you will recall, I referred to Paul’s epistle to the Thessalonians twice (1^stThessalonians 3:12, 1^st Thessalonians 4:1). In those verses, Paul was praying for and calling the Thessalonian believers to excel. The interesting thing is that the Thessalonian Christians had earlier been described in the same epistle as “a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia” (1^st Thessalonians 1:7). This could have suggested to them that they were probably “better” or “superior” to some other believers but God clearly communicated His desire for them to excel. They had been commended for their work of faith, labour of love and patience of hope among other things (1^stThessalonians 1:3) and yet Paul prayed that for them to excel even more!

The biblical perspective of striving for excellence is different from the secular perspective. It is not about competing with other people. It is about being the best that God has called us to be utilizing all that God has given us. Like one of my friends wrote recently on her blog “Every day, I am more and more driven to be better. To do better. To make sure I am striving to the best of my ability to harness the entirety of my God-given potential. I want to die knowing that I emptied myself of all I was capable of achieving within the time I was in this realm…”1

Never be satisfied because you appear to be better than others. Don’t settle for the status quo or set the bar so low when God wants you to abound much more. Go on friends and strive to be the best that God has called you to be. Go on and excel!

To be continued…

Scripture quotations are from the Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

Notes:

1. Ololade Ajekigbe, "Eat. Breathe. Love" www.lolosthoughts.com/Eat-Breathe-Love