| Good morning everyone, Our theme for this month: “Be the church” 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 it comes to being the church out in the world our goal should be excellence. What I mean is that we should strive to do our best at whatever we are doing, and we should do so because as the Bible teaches, we are ultimately doing it all for Jesus. Our life is a gift from the Lord, and our ultimate and highest purpose is to be on-mission with Him in the world. Everything we do can be a way in which we bring glory to God, and it can then capture the attention of people, serving as a bridge or platform to then witness for Christ. Striving for excellence in all that we do is a way of being the church in the world. But excellence is a learned trait. 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 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 use a ruler to 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 is 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 is a way of life. It can be learned and it should be learned. Remember what we have been learning this month about the character and nature of a spiritually mature and thriving Christian. That person perseveres; they are resilient; they are learning and growing; they are optimistic; they approach their tasks with enthusiasm and eagerness; and they are not content with being mediocre or average. 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. He deserves your best, and so do others. Let the observing world see you as someone who always gives their best. God bless, Pastor Jim (If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville |
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