AS A MAN, EXCELLENCE IS A MUST

Men are losing their positions due to the way they handle themselves. We cannot continue doing things in mediocrity. We have to be above board. Man is the uncontested leader in the home and being so he has to do things excellently.
Philippians 3:14:”I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus”.(NIV)
1 Corinthians 14:40: “But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way”.(NIV),
2 Corinthians 4:7: “But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us”.(NIV)

Excellence is not just a concept, but a pattern of life which should be expressed by all who claim to belong to the Kingdom of God. It should not be an end in itself, but be a servant to purpose and vision. It should not only affect a small sphere or segment of one's life, but the whole. For example, if someone with high achievements and has bad moral influence, he does not qualify for excellence, because excellence has its roots in character and integrity. Its power lies in high morality. The kind of excellence we are talking about goes beyond the superficial and temporal secular success concepts. It encompasses all spheres of life. It is complete and whole.
True excellence reflects the nature of God. It is not so much what we have achieved, but rather the directions we take towards our goal. It is the walk and the quality of our lives lived for the glory of God; "...that your daily lives should not embarrass God, but bring joy to him who invited you into His Kingdom to share His glory." (1Th.2:12).
Excellence demands a standard, and that standard should be God's Word. The Bible provides insights or principles by which we can measure our achievements. For example, we can ask ourselves; "Does this thing bring glory to God? Does it hurt or harm others? Does it contribute to the welfare of others? Does it defile the body which is the temple of the Holy Spirit? How does it affect my values? What are the motives behind this performance? Is this a selfish act?" These are very basic questions for the uncontested leaders of homes and society to ask.
Excellence means living a life that is totally dedicated to the will of God. It means living a life that is pleasing to God and is fruitful in every way. It means living a life of character and integrity, doing our work according to God's precepts. It means reflecting God's glory in everything we do. Before you do anything it is good to reflect on the consequences of the same. Will I do it to the glory of God?
Excellence is a quality that God is calling us to reflect in every aspect of our lives. It is to become a way of life because it reflects God's nature and character. Mediocrity and inferiority should not find room in those who want to serve and please God. I can upon my readers to be men above board. God is our enabler and our source. We must excel.
History proves to us that excellence in any sphere of life is possible to be attained when the right cost is met. God has given every man natural talents. In addition, He gives spiritual gifts to those who seek His ways. By these gifts we may enhance excellence not only in our productivity and our services, but also in our values and life-style. 1 Thessalonians 2:12 :”encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory”.(NIV)
What about Excellence?
1) Excellence does not come easily. We have to set goals and be willing to meet the conditions required.
2) Skill, competence or ingenuity alone do not produce true excellence. It has to be expressed and reflected by the nature of our very life and values. In other words, we have to be people of integrity.
3) The only people who achieve excellence are those who are dissatisfied by mediocrity, so they set out to make up the difference. They are loyal to their commitments, seek no shortcuts, and take no reward for anything they do not deserve.
What should be the motivating factor towards excellence for Christians? The answer to this question is found in 1 Corinthians 10:31: "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God."
This is reason enough for us to pursue excellence. Why should we do everything for God's glory^? Because all our strength, talents and time belong to Him! If we have to use what is His, we have to do our best for His glory. This is another way to witness to the world around us.
Seeing Christ's Excellence

Let them see Christ in everything we do.
1) For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ep.2.10).
2) We are created in Christ to do good works of excellence (Jn.15:8).
What kind of fruit do we think will bring glory to the Father? The Lord will be much more pleased with those fruits that reflect His character. That character is excellence.
Throughout the Bible, we see that whenever God gave instructions on anything to be done for Him (e.g., building the Temple or the Ark of the Covenant}, His instructions always pointed towards excellence. Even for sacrifice, the best had to be offered to Him. He never settled for mediocrity because that is not His nature. Likewise, we make it our goal to please Him. 2 Corinthians 5:9: “So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it”.(NIV) Since excellence takes many forms, we cannot easily set one standard for all forms of excellence, but we can use principles that reflect God's nature to guide us in our judgments.
We can excel. We can the challenges from the Book of Proverbs 31. This woman is out for excellence. Her standards are set high in everything she does. Proverbs 31:29 "Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all." Proverbs 31:30. “Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.” Proverbs 31:31; “Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate”.(NIV). She is not an ordinary homemaker. Her secret lies in her faith in the Lord. She draws her strength from Him. The work of her hands is a living proof of what she is. As men we can learn from this virtuous woman and do all that we do with excellence. Our fruits stand as a witness of who we are and what our values are.
1 Thessalonians 4:1:“Finally, brothers, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more”.(NIV)
To excel is to have still more. Go higher - Accept no limits for good works as long as Christ is the center of them. Ephesians 3:20-21:”Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen”.(NIV) Christ in us is able to do greater things than we can ever imagine! The problem is that we often limit Him through our disbelief. We disarm Him when we doubt His power in us.
Release the power that is tied and locked within us! We can excel exceeding abundantly beyond the measures of men. Do not let the lack of higher education; skills and the wisdom of men determine our limitations. Our only judge is God and His power and wisdom are our limits!
Make a vow to step out of the power of gravitation that has bound us to mediocrity. Like an eagle, we can soar higher. Like a ship, sail across the seas. Like a plane, fly over the clouds! Go for it!
How to Excel
Colossians 3:23-24 “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.(NIV)

• We ought to be committed to become the best we can be.
• We ought to be committed to personal integrity, dignity, and self-respect.
• We need to set goals with high standards which will allow God's power to be manifested in our works.
• Do not settle for mediocrity, average, or second-rate accomplishments.
• Keep in mind that our productivity is just the result. Christ is the foundation, the roots and the power behind our lives and our excellence.
• We are to make God our partner in our lives (Mt.6:33).
• Keep the inner power flowing constantly
• We are to discipline our lives.
• We do the planning and God will do the leading (Pr.16:9)

Yes we can do everything in excellence. We have no excuse to give because our God is on our side. In our homes, let us set high standards that will be good examples for both our wives and children. In the society, we can set high standards too. In the Church, we should take the lead in excellence. We have no reason to give because God has created everything in excellence and He is a best example.