God does not do half-hearted work. It is in His nature to do the best work possible. But does He expect the same from us today?
Our Biblical Example
The Bible is filled with examples that demonstrate not only the importance of working with excellence, but also the requirement of working with excellence.
In the Bible, Daniel worked with a spirit of excellence that was even recognized by others (Dan. 6:3, Dan. 5:12). God was able to trust Daniel with delicate situations because he was faithful to Him and always did excellent work.
What has God already trusted you with? God often wants to see our faithfulness in small things before He can trust us with bigger things.
Joseph is another paramount example of working with excellence. Everything he did was to the best of his ability. So much so that his managers were concerned about nothing that was under his responsibility (Gen. 39:6, Gen. 39:23).
Often times we may not feel that we have the right abilities, but are we truly using all the abilities we do have?
Your Work is A Witness
The greatest witness a Christian can provide is often through their actions rather than their words. We have a great opportunity to demonstrate our faithfulness to the One we serve by the excellence of our work.
As author Tom Nelson writes in his book, Work Matters, “The excellence of our work often gives us the credibility to speak of the excellence of our Lord Jesus.” Nelson also recognizes that diligent stewardship is an authenticating mark of a true follower of Christ.
Would you want to listen to someone talk about Jesus if they were careless, complaining or lazy in their work?
Jesus and the Apostle Paul
The apostle Paul wrote his second letter to the Corinthians under the assumption that they would excel in everything (2 Cor. 8:7). He wrote to Colossians that they should do their work with their whole heart as though they were working for God and not for man (Col. 3:23).
How often do we just see our work as something we simply do, rather than something we do for God?
Jesus told His followers to let their light shine for others to see, so they could glorify their Father in heaven (Matt. 5:16). Our light should shine in how we talk, how we act, and in the kind of work we do.
It seems quite difficult to imagine Jesus or the apostle Paul doing work that wasn’t done to the best of their ability. How much confidence would you have in buying a tent made by the apostle Paul?
Do people have that kind of confidence in the work we do every day?
What About You?
Sometimes we can become complacent if we aren’t careful. It’s good to take time to reflect and ask ourselves whether we are truly giving our best in everything we do.
Are you stuck or lacking motivation? Get alone with the Lord and ask Him to help. He has prepared everything for you to walk in and has exactly what you need to move forward with confidence and purpose.
Is it important to you to do your best work? What will you do this week to work with excellence?
