The Journey of Excellence

2 Corinthians 13:11  Finally, brothers, good-by. Aim for perfection, listen to my appeal, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.
Bill Hybels wrote a book called “AXIOMS” in which he enumerated the axioms that he has developed over the years and which have stood the test of time.
An axiom is a statement generally accepted as true, or that states a truth in a succinct, easy to grasp statement. If you’ve read 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, you know that each of those habits is stated as an axiom.
One of my axioms which came to me during a leadership meeting is this: “Perfection is destination, excellence is a journey and the joy is in the journey”.
Perfection, as we read in 1 Corinthians 13:10 is unattainable in this lifetime, but it is something to aim for. When we do that, we generally can achieve excellence.
Titus 3:8  This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.
1 Tim 3:13  Those who have served well gain an excellent standing and great assurance in their faith in Christ Jesus.
We aim for perfection all the while knowing that we will fall short. However, it is how we react to those times when we fall short that define whether or not we can achieve excellence.
Each and every one of us goes through times when life just throws hurdles at us. We can choose to react and let our flesh make our choices for us or we can respond and take the long view of things. For us that have Christ as our Lord and Savior, the long view is always in the context of eternity.
I have a co-worker who had an awful day recently. She was on the way to see the doctor to deal with some health issues when she got a phone call that one of her granddaughters had been arrested. While she was chewing on that she received another phone call that another one of her granddaughters who had been missing had been found, but then had attempted suicide. That is a bad day. She had choices to make, but rather than run and hide she surrounded herself with people who cared and allowed them to minister to her with wise counsel and prayer. Her problems are still there but she is coping with her problems one day at a time, As a by-product of her testimony she has galvanized an entire group of people who are now united in their support and prayer for her. They are being blessed as well. While she still feels the pain of the circumstances surrounding her two granddaughters and there are some painful decisions she needs to make regarding those situations, her testimony is one of excellence as she walks in the Lord and allows those decisions, those responses to by guided by the Holy Spirit.
1 John 2:5 But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him.
In the King James Version this verse is translated as “the love of God is perfected”. When we look at the word “perfect” in the dictionary it has two primary definitions. The first has to do with being without fault or defect. This is the definition we tend to think of. The second definition, however, is more closely related to the way that it is expressed in the Bible which is relating to a verb tense that expressed an action or state completed or to be completed.
We are still alive and Christ has not come back, therefore His work in us has not and cannot be completed until He comes back. And yet, He is working in us to make complete that which He has started in us through His Holy Spirit.
Hebrews 13:20-21  Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. (KJV)
This is the journey of excellence and the joy is in the journey as we walk out His good will through the encouragement and strengthening of the Holy Spirit.

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