The Pursuit of Excellence

WEEKLY DEVOTIONAL BY PATRICE TSAGUE

Do you see excellence as a goal or a journey? Are you realizing your fullest potential in life and business? Do you know how to achieve it?

Let’s explore this topic together in today’s devotional:

Many books have been written about excellence and most of them rightly present excellence as a journey, not a destination. Even though excellence is something we all aspire towards, we need to realize we will never truly achieve it on this side of glory because true excellence is the full manifestation of God’s glory in all His perfection and holiness. Despite this fact, it must still be pursued because pursuing it puts us among the greats; it lands us in a place of honor, not just among men but with God himself. For we work not as unto men but as unto God, knowing He will reward us in the end.

The journey of excellence is a choice all of us must make and it also comes at a cost. It is something we can all do no matter our pedigree, education, net worth, or social standing. We were all created by an excellent God with the ability to pursue excellence. The pursuit alone should be a reward unto itself as it allows us to manifest the image and likeness of God and reflect His perfect will for our lives and business.

Pursuing excellence requires us to look into the following five things:

• Worldview – What is your view of the world?
  • Context – How do you see the world?
  • Faith – What are your core convictions?
  • History – Where do you come from?
  • Data – What information are you basing your conclusions on?
  • Experience – How are the things you’ve done influencing your judgment?
• Principles – What guiding truth and fundamentals have you put in place to keep you and your organization centered around God?
• Habits – Practices that have become a discipline. Do you have them?
  • Strategy – Do you routinely work on your strategy?
  • Adaptability – How flexible are you? Do you adapt to new realities?
  • Teamwork – Have you or your team done it before?
  • Measurement – Do you have metrics to track your progress?
  • Budget – How much will it cost? Have you included this in your budget?
• Processes and systems – Do you have adequate documentation and automation?
• Action – Without this nothing else works. Do you act on what you know? Are you persistent in your efforts?

Why is the pursuit of excellence important? Why is it so critical to our ability to realize your fullest potential in life and business?

The simple answer is found in Proverb 22:29: it will enable you to stand before kings. Yes, excellence puts you in the place of honor. Whatever your business or vocation, if you pursue it with excellence, you will be known and recognized by the gatekeepers of your industry. You will be honored among the great in your sphere of influence. Go ahead start the journey today, pursue it with care, pursue it with patience, and remember it is a journey, not a destination. It is the call of every Biblical Entrepreneur to build a Kingdom business for the glory of our King.

My prayer for you today is that God will give you the conviction and the grace to pursue excellence with all your heart so that you may be recognized among kings.