Excellence in All Things

 Excellence in All Things by Dr. D. James Kennedy

“Do you see a man who excels in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before unknown men.” Proverbs 22:29

A gentleman was walking down the street, and he passed a large construction site where a group of men were laying brick. He asked one of the workers, “What are you doing?”

The man answered, “I’m laying bricks, stupid. What does it look like I’m doing?”

The gentleman asked another man, “What are you doing?”

The second man replied, “I am making a wall.”

The passerby asked a third man, “What are you doing?”

He said, “I am building a magnificent cathedral to the glory of God!”

What’s the difference between the narrow vision of the first two men and the great vision of the third man? The third man saw the ultimate purpose of his work: to glorify God.

We need to have the same focus in whatever work we do, whether we work directly for the Church or in a secular profession. As the Shorter Catechism of the Westminster Confession states, "the chief end of humankind is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever." So as we live and work, our ultimate purpose should be to glorify God.

How can you and I glorify God in our work? By pursuing excellence in all we do. Too often, work done in the Church by professing Christians is sloppy or below par. But when we do things well, God is glorified. For this reason, Christian books should be of a higher caliber than secular books, and Christian videos should be of a higher quality than secular ones.

Whatever God has called you to do, pursue excellence both professionally and personally. Make it your end to glorify God in all you do, and God will help you achieve the highest quality of which you are capable. Remember that even the smallest, most mundane task will ultimately result in a magnificent cathedral of glory to our God.