| Good Morning Everyone, Our theme for this month: “Resilience” Our Bible verse for today: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.” Colossians 3:23 (NIV) Our thought for today: “Be excellent” When I went to Navy bootcamp in 1971 I was a kid of seventeen with little self-discipline. So imagine my shock when I discovered that I had to make my bunk with precision – with perfectly squared corners and sheets pulled so tight that a quarter would bounce off of them. There was also an exact spot on the floor that I had to stand at attention on, and my toes couldn’t be off by even a fraction of an inch. The tee shirts and boxers in my locker had to be folded to exact specifications (the drill instructor would actually pull out a ruler and measure the dimensions of the folded boxers to verify that I had done it exactly right). At the time it all seemed thoroughly ridiculous to me and I thought it was an absurd waste of time. Later I realized that they weren’t really teaching me how to properly fold underwear. Instead, they were teaching me how to pay attention to detail and to strive for excellence, even in the small things. Because, in order to achieve excellence in the big things you must first have the habit of being excellent in the small things. Excellence is not an exception reserved only for big and important matters, it’s a prevailing attitude that characterizes how a person approaches life. A person who strives for excellence in the small things will also achieve excellence in the big things. Excellence is a habit, it’s a way of life, and it can be learned. Remember our definition of resilience – it’s more than simple perseverance, it’s more than just sticking with something and getting through it. A resilient person thrives as they persevere; a resilient person learns and grows and becomes better as they continue to achieve; a resilient person is optimistic, approaching their tasks with enthusiasm and eagerness; a resilient person isn’t content with being mediocre or average. The pursuit of excellence is part of the resilient life, and it’s a habit that can be learned. I encourage you to strive for excellence in all that you do. That doesn’t mean you need to be a perfectionist. But it does mean that you shouldn’t be willing to settle for less than your best. That’s what Paul was teaching in Colossians 3:23 – whatever you do, do it with all your heart because you’re doing it for the Lord, and He deserves your best. We’ll think more tomorrow about how to develop habits that lead to excellence. God Bless, Pastor Jim |
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