Pleasant or Perfect: The Demand for Excellence

We often use words like “beautiful” or “stunning” or “perfect” when we actually mean “popular” or “pleasant.” Every day is beautiful in its own way. But the weather yesterday was pleasant. Hit songs are hits. But they’re rarely perfect. I often like pleasant, but I prefer excellent. I often like things that are pleasant, but pleasant and popular are convenient, easy and risk-free.

Excellence, on the other hand, is often difficult. It can create change, challenge our perceptions and feel risky, all at once. Creating things that are excellent is a choice and a quest, and most of the time, we’re simply seeking pleasant on our way to being popular.

If we care enough to be excellent, we shouldn’t be willing to settle for pleasant, or mediocre. Whether in our walk with God, or with anything we lay our hands to do.

I’ve always been of the mindset that God is excellent, so the demand is laid upon us, His children, to be excellent in all that we do. God is more than worthy of us giving him everything we’ve got, rather than just presuming on his grace and being satisfied with mediocrity.

Mediocrity is defined as “ordinary… neither good nor bad; barely adequate… poor, inferior.” Mediocrity is like crawling on hands and knees when we were created to stand, walk, run and mount up like an eagle and fly.

Remember, God made you, redeemed you, and is enthusiastic about you. God isn’t sluggish or lackadaisical about you. He is intentional about you.

Excellence isn’t just a pie in the sky; it’s God’s plan for each Christian. God calls us to give our all. Excellence, by definition, means “the finest”. It takes hard work, constant commitment, but it is achievable. Excellence is never cheap. It’s costly. Constant care, serious preparation, and continual application are required. Excellence requires desire plus discipline plus determination.

We can fall in love, but we don’t fall into excellence. Only the strength of a firm commitment can overcome the mud of everyday life. It changes what could be a fleeting emotion into the continuous effort to do our very best in everything we do today, tomorrow, next year, and years from now. Excellence is more than a wish; it’s a pursuit that never stops.

Many give excuses on their path to excellence, and call it a reason. There’s a big difference there. A reason explains how a conclusion is reached. An excuse explains why nothing was done about the conclusion. A reason is usually sincere, an excuse is generally a rationalisation. A reason is real, whereas an excuse is at least an intervention and at best a very weak reason. An excuse is worse and more terrible than a lie because an excuse is a lie guarded.

“I can’t do that”, is the most dangerous of excuses, because you are often capable of more than you realise. The people of God have to overcome this trap in order to excel.

Always remember that God made you, redeemed you, and is enthusiastic about you. God isn’t sluggish or lackadaisical about you. He is intentional about you. He sent His best, His Son, to redeem you. If God gave His best, the demand is laid upon us to give our best.

Just as one quality person motivates others to strive for excellence, so mediocrity spreads like a plague. If we hang around people who strive for excellence, it will rub off on us. The same goes with mediocrity. I decided a while ago to fervently reject a mediocre attitude. Whoever I am or whatever I am doing, some kind of excellence is within my reach. Excellence isn’t just for a privileged few, nor is it reserved for the elite or the genius. It is for you, whoever you are, wherever you are, whatever you do.

You do not have to be the surgeon general or an outstanding business person or a well-known writer to achieve excellence. God knows many people who have achieved excellence that you and I have never heard about. It is the quality of what you are and do that counts.

Excellence wouldn’t just change you, it’ll change the world around you