Rethinking Excellence
What comes to mind when you hear the word excellence?
When we think of excellence in our job, talent, or hobby, it’s hard not to think in terms of comparison. We either look up to the excellent work of those ahead of us—or look down on what we deem inferior.
For most of my professional career and ministry life, I’ve tried to pursue everything with excellence. In running my agency, I used to measure excellence against the agencies I admired—their work, culture, content, scale. In church leadership, it’s easy to define excellence by avoiding what we consider average.
But that approach can become (and in my life, has become) a never-ending pursuit of an ever-elusive white whale. The bar always moves. The moment you hit one goal, another appears.
After a while, it becomes exhausting.
Over time, I’ve had to redefine excellence in a way that is more fulfilling, sustainable, and biblically grounded.
Scripture gave me clarity:
“Whatever you do, do it from the heart, as something done for the Lord and not for people, knowing that you will receive the reward of an inheritance from the Lord. You serve the Lord Christ.”
In other words:
Excellence is directional, not comparative.
The audience is God, not people.
What Excellence Means
Excellence means doing the best we can with what God has given us—our time, resources, talents, and abilities.
It means acknowledging our limitations and constraints without using them as excuses for careless or inferior work.
Instead, we apply thoughtfulness, intention, creativity, and effort to produce our best.
In the church—and in life—I aim to work for the glory of God and the good of His people. If I do the best I can with what God has given me, while respecting what God has not given me, then I can rest knowing I am operating in excellence.
Consider the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14–30).
Jesus tells the story of a master who entrusts his servants with different amounts of money according to their ability. Two servants put their money to work. They produced different returns—yet they received the same praise: “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
Not influential.
Not impressive.
Not high-capacity.
Not high-producing.
Good and faithful.
They were judged according to what they were given—not according to what someone else received. God evaluates faithfulness, not comparison.
What Excellence Does Not Mean
Excellence does not mean keeping up with—or outperforming—others.
Excellence does not mean operating beyond your God-given capacities.
Excellence does not guarantee visible success or impressive outcomes.
Excellence is not responsible for the results.
Excellence is responsible for faithfulness in effort.
The results belong to God.
Excellence and Limitations
Excellence must acknowledge, accept, and even appreciate our limitations.
The Parable of the Talents makes it clear: God has not given everyone the same capacity—whether that’s talent, energy, ability, opportunity, or influence. We are different. And we are not expected to produce identical output. God has not called any of us to everything.
And God will not call us to something at the expense of what He has already commanded.
For example, God’s call to build a business, lead a church, or pursue vocational excellence is not meant to override His command to Sabbath—to intentionally cease from work and honor Him. Nor does it override our first ministry: our home.
If God has truly called us to something, He will give us the grace to pursue it faithfully without violating the other responsibilities He has entrusted to us.
Part of excellence, then, is:
Acknowledging our limitations
Accepting that those limitations may cap our output
Appreciating that faithfulness—not comparison—is what God requires