5 Ways to Practice Your Spirit of Excellence

“Excellent: eminently good; first class; superior”

-- Merriam-Webster Dictionary 2023

What is the spirit of excellence? It is not the spirit of being superior, as the definition above might suggest. I first heard of the Spirit of Excellence from the K-LOVE radio station. Someone said that the spirit of excellence is doing the best you can in everything, even if it’s just making a sandwich, because you are a representative of Christ. How do we practice this? How do we improve it?

1. Praying over it, and praying through it

It is important to keep up prayer through everything. Keeping your mind on God will help you maintain that spirit of excellence. It’s a good idea to pray before you do the task to get yourself in the right mindset. Even just praying when you wake up in the morning drastically changes how you approach your day. It’s also important to pray in thanksgiving once your task or day is over. Thank God that it went well, and thank Him for what he granted you that day, whether it be a sunny afternoon, your favorite meal, or even just that no one cut you off on the highway.

2. Offer up difficult tasks

Some tasks are hard, that’s undeniable. With hardships and difficulties can come a lack of focus and effort. A way you can make it easier on yourself is by offering up and keeping those who have it worse than you in mind. Remember those who go without food when you realize you have to eat lunch an hour later than normal. Remember those who go without water when your shower won’t get to your preferred temperature.

3. Use your skills for the good of the church

The church is always looking for help, whether it be in sharing the gospel, working with the kids’ groups, singing, running tech, cooking, etc. There are so many ways to get involved in the church, which can help keep your mind on God while also doing things that you love.

4. Talk to people about it

Another way you can keep the spirit of excellence in your mind is by talking to people about it. You can share your ideas and your steps while others can help hold you accountable. It also might prove as motivation if someone agrees to work on their spirit of excellence with you. Having people do things with you, especially hard things, tends to make them easier and more attainable.

5. Reflection

In order to do things to the best of your ability, you have to accept what God is telling you to do. The best we can do is always going to be to walk with Christ, but if we don’t do that, then we’re not in the spirit of excellence. We need to keep our hearts open to God's way. Sometimes, God gives us an answer we don’t like, and we go against it, but we have to be open to what he wants from us. Even if it’s not what we want, it’s what’s best for us, and we have to change what we want, which can be difficult. Reflecting on what God wants for you can point you in the right direction.

YOUR CHALLENGE TODAY: Reflect over the five steps listed above and think about places in your life where you can work on practicing the spirit of excellence more. Remember that we are representing Jesus Christ while we are here on Earth, and He deserves nothing but the best of what we have to offer.