Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Excellence”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “For me, living is Christ and dying is gain.” Philippians 1:21

 

Our thought for today: “Excellence is achieved through purpose.”

 

As I write this I have just returned from a mission trip to Haiti. Our team conducted medical and dental clinics, construction projects, preparing hundreds of hot meals for children, and work with orphans. Our primary partner in Haiti is a young man named Michael. His father is a Bishop, the founder and leader of one of the largest and most well-developed Christian ministries in Haiti.

 

Michael was born in the USA while his parents were on a trip here and therefore he is a citizen of both the USA and of Haiti. Michael is also a professional singer. He is so good that when he came to the USA for college he was able to pay his own way through both college and graduate school by the money he earned as a singer. He even appeared on the television show “American Idol” in the second season of that show, the year that Carrie Underwood was on it. Michael knew Carrie and appeared on television with her.

 

After graduate school he continued his music career and had a very nice life in the Atlanta area. Then in 2010 the great earthquake hit Haiti. The day after the earthquake Michael got on a plane and flew to Haiti to see how he could help. As he approached his hometown, the site of his father’s ministry headquarters, he saw rubble everywhere and bodies lying in the street. In that moment Michael received a vision from God that he was to stay in Haiti and help his father and others to rebuild the country.

 

He never looked back. He gave up his nice life in the USA and his career as a professional singer and became his father’s right-hand-man. That was more than six years ago. Today Michael and his wife Luce live in a small apartment in a missionary compound; they spend their days helping to run Grace International and caring for orphans; and they do it in the poorest country in the western hemisphere.

 

Just a few days ago while I was in Haiti, I was wondering how Michael could endure so much hardship and deprivation, living in such difficult circumstances compared to the life he once had, and doing it with such obvious joy. This is what he said, “When you know your God-given purpose and you’re passionate about it, nothing else matters.”

 

That’s the key to excellence – knowing your purpose and pursuing it with passion. When you’ve arrived at that point, nothing else matters. That’s where Michael is at in life. The Apostle Paul was there too. That’s what he was writing about in Philippians 1:21 – his purpose and his passion was to serve Christ. All of the Old Testament prophets had it too. So did the New Testament disciples, as well as so many other followers of Jesus down through the ages.

 

When you know your purpose in life and you are passionate about fulfilling it, excellence is the natural result. Once you have that, nothing else will matter much to you.

 

Your purpose in life will probably be different from Michael’s and Paul’s. Your purpose and passion will be unique to you. That’s as it should be. But I encourage you to discover that purpose, focus on it, pursue it with passion, and then strive to be excellent at it.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim