Excellence

Colossians 3:17 (HCSB)
And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. 

My wife and I recently went to the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC and saw Riverdance at the Opera House.  The show was excellent.  Everything about this production was great; the dancers, musicians, lights, choreography, visual mapping on the background screen, sound, and setting.  If I had the power to do so, I would not change one thing. 

It made me think of excellence.  Every person involved in this production displayed excellence for two solid hours.  In our lifetime, we will witness excellence in a variety of ways.  Some arenas of excellence include: sports figures, movies, books we read, vacation spots, entertainers, restaurants, and more.  What makes something, or someone, excellent?  I suppose a lot of factors are involved, but certainly time invested, hard work, and persistence play key roles.  

The humbling reality of all involved in Riverdance, or anyone you have witnessed and consider to be excellent, is that one day they will die.  The excellence they have displayed in their life, as it relates to the span of time throughout history, only lasts for a brief moment.  Some may argue, “What is the point, then?”  The Bible has an answer to this question in Psalm 33:3 as it reads (NASB), “Sing to Him a new song; play skillfully with a shout of joy.”  While this passage refers only to music, I would suggest that playing skillfully, or with excellence, addresses every aspect of our lives, especially if we label ourselves as Christian. 

So, what is excellence, an excellence that carries you and I into eternity?  Here are some examples from Scripture: committing our ways to the Lord (Prov. 16:3), being diligent and serving the Lord (Rom. 12:11), always abounding in the work of the Lord (1 Cor. 15:58), doing everything in the name of the Lord Jesus (Col. 3:17), being kind, compassionate, and forgiving (Eph. 4:32), abiding in Christ (John 15:5), and loving one another as Jesus loves us (John 13;34-35).  This is excellence; an excellence that will last; an excellence you will one day be rewarded by when you hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant!” (Matt.25:21).

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