The Life of Excellence

I have always striven for excellence. I think striving for that might be somewhat due to my perfectionist tendencies, but I know that part of that striving is due to the nurturing I received as a child. As I have matured, I have noticed that my motivation for excellence has changed. No longer do I pursue excellence because I want to receive an "award" of some sort. I seek excellence because I wish to honor God in everything I do. 

The life of excellence is not an easy one. It requires planning and commitment. It is not achieved overnight; rather, it is a quality that is nurtured and sustained throughout life. In Philippians 4:8, Paul tells us to nurture excellence by thinking on things that are excellent. I think the key to accomplishing that goal is to think upon the other things mentioned in the verse: to think on whatever is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, of good repute, and worthy of praise. When we think about things that fall into all of these categories, we necessarily become people of excellence. How can we not? After all, it is what comes out of us that determines our character. If we are thinking of excellent things, it is only natural that we will exude excellence.

I recently finished a book called Prayers Of An Excellent Wife: Intercession For Him, written by my friend, Andrew Case. While I am not married, I still found the truths contained in the book applicable. The book reminded me that I am to strive for excellence now and always. One of the ways I do this is to pray for my future mate. I took this application one step further; I decided to pray the prayers in this book for the other beloved men in my life, namely, my brothers and my dad. 

Reading Prayers Of An Excellent Wife: Intercession For Him made me realize what an honor it is to pray for others. Somehow, my heart seems to grow when I am praying for somebody other than myself. It could be that I'm taking the focus off of me and putting it on others. Perhaps it's a result of drawing closer to God. I think both statements are probably true, but in any case, I feel as though I burgeon with more love for God and other people the more time I spend praying for others and meditating on God's Word. 

This feeling may be what Karl Barth was referring to when he said, "To clasp the hands in prayer is the beginning of an uprising against the disorder of the world." I think he's right; praying the way Prayers Of An Excellent Wife: Intercession For Him recommends certainly opposes what the world says. The worlds says to take care of number one. The Bible tells us to regard others as more important than ourselves. The world tells us to rely on our own strength; the Bible says that we are inadequate. We cannot be everything our loved ones need. When we realize that, we are able to find true strength in the One who will guide us when we are uncertain, comfort us when we are afraid, and embolden us to be the people of excellence He has called us to be.