“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.”
- Colossians 3:23 ESV
I was sitting on the porch this morning watching my human drink coffee and read his Bible. I was also watching a squirrel run across the fence. Now, I don’t want to brag, but I consider myself a pretty good squirrel chaser. That squirrel, however, is still undefeated.
Got me thinking about being the best you can be.
My human was reading about working heartily as unto the Lord. That got me wondering why some folks seem to think following Jesus means taking their foot off the gas when it comes to competing, performing, or succeeding in the world.
Why shouldn’t Christian musicians be the best musicians?
Why shouldn’t Christian business professionals be the best in their field?
Why shouldn’t Christian athletes compete at the highest level?
Why shouldn’t believers strive to excel at whatever God has gifted them to do?
Who decided that honoring Jesus meant settling for second best?
Here’s the thing I’m learning: God isn’t honored by wasting the gifts He’s given us.
Whether you’re preaching a sermon, running a business, playing a ballgame, teaching a classroom, or fixing a leaky faucet, you ought to give it your best.
Practice hard.
Study hard.
Prepare well.
Compete with everything you’ve got.
There’s nothing wrong with wanting to win, being excellent at your craft, or reaching the top of your profession.
But there’s a difference between being the best you can be and forgetting who you’re called to be.
You can win the championship and lose your character.
You can build a successful business and sacrifice your family on the altar of ambition.
You can earn the applause of a crowd and forget the One whose approval matters most.
The goal isn’t simply to be the best athlete, professional, performer, or leader in the room. It’s to be the best man or woman of God you can be while pursuing excellence in whatever you do.
Jesus never called us to mediocrity.
He called us to faithfulness.
And faithfulness means using our gifts, developing our abilities, working with integrity, treating people with respect, and remembering that our identity isn’t determined by our wins, losses, titles, or paychecks.
So go ahead… Crush it!
Just remember Who gave you the gifts… why you’re using them… and Whom you ultimately represent.
Keep from confusing success with significance or achievement with identity.
Whatever God has gifted you to do, stop making excuses and start developing it.
Pursue excellence without sacrificing character.
Work hard, compete honorably, and let the way you live point people toward Jesus.
And if that squirrel ever makes a mistake, well, I intend to be ready.
Keep the Faith… Carpe Diem
