March 24

SPIRIT OF EXCELLENCE

And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men. Colossians 3:23

It is said that as the great Michelangelo painted the magnificent i frescoes on the ceiling of the Sistine chapel - lying on his back for endless hours to finish every detail with great care - a friend asked him why he took such pains with figures that would be viewed from a considerable distance. "After all," the friend said, "Who will notice whether it is perfect or not?" "I will," replied the artist.

There are two attitudes here - the attitude of Michelangelo's friend and that of Michelangelo himself. His friend had an attitude that settles for the easy way out. People who have such attitude are not committed to excellence. They are only concerned about doing things to please people and not to achieve their full potential. For such people when there is no one looking, they do a shoddy work. They lack the discipline to go the extra mile.

Michelangelo's attitude on the other hand is the attitude of champions. People who have that attitude do not work just to please people. They work to fulfil their God-given potential. They don't rest until they can be sure that God is pleased with what they have done. Whether they work behind the scenes or before the public, they strive for excellence. That was the spirit that drove Michelangelo to produce great masterpieces of art that continue to awe the world hundreds of years after his death.

That is the attitude that God wants us to have. He is an excellent God and he requires us to reflect His excellence in all we do.

Prayer: Ask the Lord to give you the spirit of excellence to always do your work to the best of your potential.

Scriptural Reading: Colossians 3:22-25