Colossians 3: 23
Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.
There is a lot of talk about how the world is falling apart and falling into sin. I sometimes wonder what any specific person has in mind. Well, here is mine. This is part of what I don’t like about the new world we live in, the low value placed on excellence.
Our world is descending into a, “Oh, that’s good enough” mentality. What happened to excellence? What happened to doing everything to the best of your ability. You hear people say of their employment, “They don’t pay me well enough to do that.” There is a “just get by” attitude. This attitude is not limited to employees though. Companies, large and small, evidence a lack luster approach.
As much as it seems an ever increasing problem, it is not a new one. Paul addressed it two thousand years ago. Christians shouldn’t do things half-way well. Paul said that in everything we do, especially our work, do it as if we work for Jesus because, of course, we do. Everything in our lives is of, by and for him. Therefore, anywhere we dispense a half-hearted effort, we minimize his greatness within us.
This is not to say you can’t have a day off. Not at all. The point is do what you do with excellence. Do not be a sluggard or turn in sloppy work in any aspect of life. Show up, show up on time, show up on time fully prepared. Imagine your shirt says, “I work for Jesus.” Also, encourage others to show excellence in everything they do and expect top performance and customer service from the companies you do business with. Expect excellence in church, at work, and in everything. Give your best and expect it from others. Give people a reason to say that Christians are people of excellence.