THE SPIRIT OF EXCELLENCE
“And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord”
(Isaiah 11:2)
“Whereas thou has been forsaken and hated, so that no man went through thee, I will make thee an eternal excellency, a joy of many generations.”
(Isaiah 60:15)
“Inasmuch as an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams and hard sentences, unravelling questions, and dissolving of doubts were found in the same Daniel”
(Daniel 5:12)
Eight months in! Wow! Thank God for the journey so far — God has indeed been faithful.
Welcome to the month of August! I believe that we have a renewed sense of stewardship over all that God has entrusted to us. It is my prayer that we will be found faithful stewards of His blessings, bringing Him glory in all that we do in Jesus name.
So, what is the Holy Spirit saying at this time? Still in line with being faithful stewards, we are being called to excellence. Our God is the Most Excellent One, and it is only natural for us to take after our Father. Mediocrity is not a virtue, and is not synonymous with christianity in any way, shape or form. We must understand, however, that we can not live up to this divine mandate in our own strength. Therefore, August is aptly themed “The Spirit of Excellence.”
To be excellent is to be outstanding, distinct, impeccable, first-rate, great, distinguished—it is to excel. The opposites of excellence include mediocrity, inferiority, worthlessness etc. It is God’s desire that we prosper and excel in every way and in all things: be it in faith, speech, education, finances, career/vocation, character, relationships, service, and in life itself (3 John 1:2; 1 Timothy 4:12). Isaiah 28:29 affirms that God is excellent in working; how much more should His children reflect that excellence!
Excellence is evangelism. Matthew 5:14–16 exhorts us to let our light shine so that others may see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven. There is nothing glorious in being small, nothing attractive in mediocrity (Jeremiah 30:19). In Isaiah 60:15, we read about a city once deserted and disregarded, but transformed into “the joy of many generations” through excellence. There is a way that we will win as children of God that will get the attention of the world. Yes, indeed, excellence gives us a voice. One who walks in excellence cannot be ignored or relegated (Proverbs 22:29). Like Daniel, even those who may not like you will be compelled to acknowledge your excellence (Daniel 6:2-4). Let the excellency of our results speak about the God we serve and the faith we profess. Many of us are so lax in our approach that we do not realise we are bringing disrepute to the name of God with this sort of attitude (1 Corinth 10:31).
Excellence is both worship of and service to God. We are called to pursue excellence in all that we do. As we have established, there is nothing glorious in mediocrity. When we lead excellent lives, God is glorified. Hebrews 11:4 tells us that Abel worshipped God with a more excellent sacrifice. It goes further to say that God spoke well of his gifts; he was commended as righteous. His excellence in worship reflected intentionality and reverence. In the light of our recent theme on stewardship, we see that an excellent steward is intentional about pleasing his Master. In the same way, when we excel in the marketplace—through our jobs, businesses, and daily vocations—we position ourselves to serve God's purpose more effectively. Ultimately, excellence honors God. It is an expression of worship that goes beyond words, revealing a heart that seeks to serve, honor, and glorify Him in all things.
Cultivate an attitude of excellence. God rewards excellence. Men also reward excellence, and excellence attracts greatness. As Proverbs 22:29 states, “Do you see a man diligent in his business? He shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men". Prayer alone will not bring you to a state of excellence. As you pray, you must also obey the instruction in Ecclesiastes 9:10: “Whatever your hands find to do, (whatever assignment you are given — in your career, family or spiritual), do it with all your might and do it excellently well.” This implies that excellence demands effort. It requires that you push yourself, develop yourself, and aim to exceed expectations. It involves hard work, diligence, intentionality, focus, discipline, and perseverance. It means setting your mind on your goals, refusing to settle for less, and continuously acquiring skills that make you better.
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of excellence (Job 32:8). When he comes upon a person, such an individual attains results that cannot be explained away by human logic (2 Corinth 4:7). Bezalel in Exodus 31:1-3, and Daniel are just two of the many examples of men who excelled by the help of the Holy Spirit. Many times, our own strength is not enough. True excellence in every area of life requires divine enabling, divine strategy, divine insight and capacity. Pray the Spirit of excellence over your life (Isaiah 11:2). The breath of God upon our labor will produce lasting excellence (Zechariah 4:6).
Come along and enjoy the teaching series: Excellence in Worshipping; Giving; Family Living; Working / Vocation/ Education, Service; and Having An Excellent Spirit. God bless you!