By: Megan Childs
Whatever is Excellent Our theme for March is "Whatever is excellent.think about such things" (Philippians 4:8). What do you think of when you hear the word "excellent"? The dictionary defines the word "excellent" as "of the highest or finest quality; superb."
Let's concentrate on the second part of the verse, "think about such things." In other parts of the Bible we are called to live excellent lives and to practice excellence; for example, the apostle Paul said in Colossians 3:23, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men." But in Philippians he only commands us to think about truth, nobility, excellence and all the other virtues. Why might this be?
Well, one reason is that if we are continually thinking about excellent things, we will not have time or energy to think about things that are less than excellent. Regularly thinking about excellence instead of rude, selfish or inferior things keeps our minds pure.
Another reason to think about excellent things is that it helps us to see what excellence is. If we go out of our way to look for examples of excellence, we will begin to recognize excellence as we come across it. As we think about excellence our mindsets may begin to change. Always looking at excellence may in time raise our own standards as we see what we can become.
Finally, the ultimate goal of thinking about excellence is to become excellent ourselves. As our standards rise, we will rise to meet them and become better people ourselves. Every single one of us can do this, because we don't need to be especially talented to have excellence. As Ralph Marston once said, "Excellence is not a skill but an attitude." We do need to have a right attitude and a willingness to work hard toward excellence.
Now, we know that we are called to think about what is excellent. The next question is, "What exactly should I think about?" Well, as an example, consider the recent Olympics. The Olympics are really all about excellence and striving to be the best. The motto on the flag of the first modern Olympics in 1920 was "Citius, Altius, Fortius," or "Faster, Higher, Stronger." Every athlete who competes in the games is doing his or her very best to excel, to be better than the best. Thinking about such determined, dedicated people can help us to set our own standards high and put forth our best effort. It also reminds us of the commitment and sacrifice which is necessary to excel.
We should also look for examples of excellence closer to home. Think about the people we see every day: Family, friends, teachers. Who comes to mind as an excellent person? Who excels at sports? Who excels at academics, music, drama or any other activity? Most importantly, think about people who excel in their faith.
One very important step for a young Christian is to find a mentor or role model. Consciously looking for people around us who display excellence in their faith is a good way to find people who could act as mentors.
A final way to think about what is excellent is to think about God. God is perfect, so as Christians our standard of excellence is really perfection. He is the ultimate example of excellence, and also the greatest role model. We are told in Ephesians 5:1 to "be imitators of God." This is the very essence of Christianity; "Christian" literally means "Christ-follower".
As you go about your day today, watch for examples of excellence. Remember to think about pure, pleasing, excellent things and to let your actions reflect a standard of excellence. We pray:
Lord, help us to think continually about what is excellent. Help all of us to have pure thoughts and upright actions today. Let us be mindful of the examples of excellence around us. Thank you for being the perfect role model, and help each of us strive to match your standard of excellence. Amen. |
