Dictionary Definition of Excellence

Excellence is a noun that means thestate or quality of being exceptionally good, superior, or eminent in something.

Excellence is the quality of being outstanding or extremely good.

Excellence is synonymous with the words excel, surpass, exceed, transcend, outdo, outstrip. These synonyms suggest the concept of going beyond a specific limit or standard.

Different Biblical Languages Definition of Excellence

Hebrew words for Excellence

Addir and Gadhai

Addir – Addir means majestic. It occurs in (Psalms 8:1,9; Psalms 16:3; Psalms 76:4)

Dictionary Definition of Majestic

Majestic is an adjective derived from the word majesty, which means impressive beauty, scale, or stateliness.

In context

Psalm 8:1&9 (KJV) – “O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Thy name in all the earth! Who hast set Thy glory above the heavens. ⁹ O Lord our Lord, how excellent is Thy name in all the earth!”

Psalm 16:3 (KJV) – “But to the saints that are in the earth, and to the excellent, in whom is all my delight.”

Psalm 76:4 (KJV) – “Thou art more glorious and excellent than the mountains of prey.”

In the above verses, excellence means majesty.

Gadhai – Gadhai means to make or become great (Isaiah 28:29)

In Context

Isaiah 28:29 (KJV) – This also cometh forth from the Lord of hosts, which is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working.

Aramaic word for Excellence

Yattir – Yattir means surpassing. It’s found in Daniel 2:31, Daniel 4:36, Daniel 5:12,14, and Daniel 6:3.

In Context

Daniel 2:31 (KJV) – “Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible.”

Daniel 4:36 (KJV) – “At the same time my reason returned unto me; and for the glory of my kingdom, mine honour and brightness returned unto me; and my counsellors and my lords sought unto me; and I was established in my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added unto me.”

Daniel 5:12 (KJV) – “Forasmuch as an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and shewing of hard sentences, and dissolving of doubts, were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar: now let Daniel be called, and he will shew the interpretation.”

Daniel 5:14 (KJV) – “I have even heard of thee, that the spirit of the gods is in thee, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom is found in thee.”

Relating to Daniel 5:14, we can conclude that not only was wisdom found in Daniel but surpassing wisdom was found in him.

Greek Words for Excellence

Diaphoroteros and Ta diapheronta.

Diaphoroteros – This word means greater or better. It Appears in Hebrews 1:4 and Hebrews 8:6.

In Context

Hebrews 1:4 (KJV) – “Being made so much better than the angels, as He hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.”

Hebrews 8:6 (KJV) – “But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.”

Ta diapheronta – This word means “things that differ” or “are pre-eminent.” This word appears in Romans 2:18 and Philippians 1:10.

In Context

Romans 2:18 (KJV) – “And knowest His will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law;”

Philippians 1:10 (KJV) – “That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ.”

Therefore, we can conclude from the Biblical definitions and contexts, something of excellence is something that is surpassing, something that is greater, majestic, and pre-eminent.

Other people’s definition of Excellence complementing the Biblical meaning

“Excellence is the quality of being outstanding or extremely good.” – Dr. Myles Munroe.

“Excellence is not just quality or high quality; it is the highest quality. Excellence is defined as maximum standard.” – Dr. Myles Munroe.

“Excellence is the unlimited ability to improve the quality of what you have to offer.” ―Rick Pitino.

Why you need to be Excellent

1. God is excellent

Genesis 1:31 (KJV) – “And God saw everything that He had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.”

After creating the world, God looked at everything He had made and saw that it was very good. ‘Very good’ means it was excellent. Notice also in chapter 1 of Genesis on the six days of creation, after God completed the work for each day, He looked at His work and saw that it was perfect before continuing to the next. If you are conducting an assignment, it must first appeal to you. If it’s not appealing to you, don’t expect it to be appealing to someone else. God was satisfied with everything that He had created first.

He made a perfect environment for man to live in, and after completing that environment, He created man last. Everything in creation fits together flawlessly like a jigsaw puzzle.

“Where does the artist obtain his design? From nature. But the great Master Artist has painted upon heaven’s shifting, changing canvas the glories of the setting sun. He has tinted and gilded the heavens with gold, silver, and crimson, as though the portals of high Heaven was thrown open, that we might view its gleamings, and our imagination takes hold of the glory within. Many turn carelessly from this heavenly wrought picture. They fail to trace the infinite love and power of God in the surpassing beauties seen in the heavens, but are almost entranced as they view and worship the imperfect paintings,

in imitation of the Master Artist”— The Review and Herald, July 25, 1871, Ellen G. White.

If we study the Bible, we can see God’s excellence comes from His orderliness and organization. Genesis 1:3 (KJV) – “And God said let there be light, and there was light.” Since darkness was prevailing (Genesis 1:2), God started with creating light. He started with light in order to see what He was making. Of course, since He is omnipotent, God could have created everything in darkness and created light as the last thing, and

everything will still be perfect. But He did not do that because He is organized and He wants us to follow His example. Light symbolizes clarity. Therefore, when starting an assignment always plan in writing before you start. It will clarify the assignment. We cannot start any task if we are not clear about it. Excellence begins with organization. You cannot be excellent if you can’t be organized. Look at the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20. The first commandment is “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” The first commandment is not “Thou shalt not steal.” If you keep the first commandment, you can be sure of keeping the other nine because you will have God as your only God, and you will be willing to obey everything that He says. Maybe you are not getting the results you want to get because you are not organized. Time meant for work; you use it on social media, and then ask God why you are still stagnating at the same spot for years.

God wants you to live an excellent lifestyle, and as a result, He has a formula for everything. Matthew 6:33 (KJV) – “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.” Matthew 6:33 provides a straightforward formula to get blessings in our lives. God does not say seek first wealth and health and all good that the earth has to behold. He instead compels us first to seek His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all other things will follow. Look at what He says in the previous verses, Matthew 6:31-32, “31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? Or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.” The gentiles represent unbelievers, since the gentiles were unbelievers in those days. Jesus is trying to tell us, “Look, the unbelievers worry and seek after these worldly things as their priority; as a Christian, you need to be different.” Is your job or education keeping you so busy that you have no time to worship God?

Let’s take a look at other verses that exemplify orderliness:

Matthew 7:5 (KJV) – “Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.”

We should not judge other people. God says that you need to work on your spiritual life FIRST before working on someone else’s spiritual life.

Hebrews 11:6 (KJV) – “But without faith, it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.”

To please God, you must believe that He is first, then trust that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Hebrews 11:5 (KJV) – “By faith, Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.”

Take a look at the word before. Before Enoch was translated directly to heaven, he had this testimony that he pleased God. Therefore, he pleased God first before he was translated to heaven.

Hebrews 11:8 (KJV) – “By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.”

For Abraham to receive the land as an inheritance, he had to obey God first through faith.

There is a formula for doing everything, and all procedures of life are prescribed in God’s word.

Excellence begins with God. Therefore, to live a remarkable life, one needs to be orderly. Start by putting God first.

2. God commands us to be excellent.

God, out of his impeccable love, wants us to live a life that is full of happiness; that is why he commands us to be excellent. “Our happiness will be proportionate to our unselfish works, prompted by divine love; for in the plan of salvation God has appointed the law of action and reaction, making the work of beneficence twice blessed.” – Signs of the Times, November 25, 1886.

Colossians 3:23 (KJV) – “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men.”

Most people work when their masters are watching them. Many would deliver low- quality work if their masters weren’t watching them. The average man (including many world leaders) only do what they are told to do. Few go the extra mile. As Christians, we need to be higher. Our work needs to be of the highest quality than other people’s work so that we can pull more souls to Christ.

Notice what Ephesians 6:5-7 says.

Ephesians 6:5-7 (KJV) – “⁵ Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; ⁶ Not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; ⁷ With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men:”

John 8:29 (KJV) – “And He that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please Him.” Jesus carried out His work while on this earth with excellence. He was excellent in everything He did. That is why He said that He always does the things that please God. Even at the cross while facing severe pain, He sought to please God by saying, “Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless, not my will, but thine, be done.” (Luke 22:42).

Genesis 1:28 (KJV) – “And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.” In this context, we can see that immediately after God created Adam and Eve, He gave them work to do. He gave them a duty to carry out. He made a perfect environment for them, filled with everything they needed. All that they had to do was to be fruitful as much as possible using the resources that God had already given them. God gave our first parents the whole world to replenish it and subdue it. God has made it ultimately easy for us to profit in anything because He has given us everything we need. The only work we have is to do our best. No one has been able to subdue the whole earth ever since God created the world. What does that mean? That means that there is always room for improvement, which means that work never ends. You have a business in the creative industry, and you have designed a logo for a client and finished it; remember there is always room for improvement.

1 Corinthians 10:31 (KJV) – “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”

Let’s look at the meaning of glory. Glory means high renown or honor won by notable achievements. It also implies distinction and prestige. Joyce Meyer defines it as, “Glory is the manifestation of all of the excellences of God.” Something that is not done excellently is not done to the glory of God. And since there are only two powers in this universe, it is of the devil if it is not of God. Never do the bare minimum; always go the extra mile to glorify God. This behavior should not just be in major assignments but also in the minor ones, like washing dishes at home to greeting someone, to making your bed. We should do everything excellently because God commands us to do so. We should carry out excellence at all times, not only when the pay is high or while working for a prominent person. Excellence should prevail even when you are not in the mood to do something you have to do.

Ecclesiastes 9:10 (KJV) – “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.” – The Bible is telling us that we have only one chance to do things right because we are headed for the grave. We are compelled to carry out duties in the best way possible because they cannot be undone once done.

3.      God only approves excellent things.

Hebrews 11:4 (KJV) – “By faith, Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it, he being dead yet speaketh.”

Now that we have read this let’s go to where the story of Cain and Abel first appeared.

Genesis 4:3-5 (KJV) – “³ And in the process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord. ⁴ And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering: ⁵ But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.”

In Hebrews 11:4, we can see that Abel obtained witness that he was righteous because he brought God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain. In Genesis 4:4, Abel gave God the highest quality (his flock’s firstlings). In Genesis 4:4-5, it is clear that the Lord had respect for Abel’s offering but had no regard for Cain’s offering; that is why in Genesis 4:7, God asked Cain, “If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted?”

Romans 2:18 (KJV) – “And knowest His will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law;”

Philippians 1:10 (KJV) – “That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ.”

In the two verses above, we can conclude that God approves only excellent things. Therefore, if we want the approval of something from God, it needs to be excellent because excellence portrays love.

4.      Excellence automatically promotes you.

Daniel 1:3-4 (KJV) – “³ And the king spake unto Ashpenaz, the master of his eunuchs, that he should bring certain of the children of Israel, and of the king’s seed, and of the princes; ⁴ Children in whom was no blemish, but well favored, and skillful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king’s palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans.”

In Daniel 1, King Nebuchadnezzar, after overthrowing Judah he needed people to work in his palace. Those people selected should be the best and had to be of the best service to the king and Babylon’s Kingdom. In Daniel 1:6, four young men were selected: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. These four were the very best among all the children of Israel. They were found to be the best because they strived to be excellent in their lives.

They did not start being excellent in Babylon. They started the quest for excellence from their homes in Judah. Take note that they did not know when the King of Babylon will come to take them captive. At the same time, they did not know that they will be chosen to serve in the King’s palace. Looking at the unfolding of these events, we can say that this is a perfect example of opportunity meeting preparation.

It is clear that their excellence automatically promoted them.

Let’s look at another example of them being promoted due to their merit.

Daniel 2:47-49 (KJV) – “⁴⁷ The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth it is, that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret. ⁴⁸ Then the king made Daniel a great man, and gave him many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief of the governors over all the wise men of Babylon. ⁴⁹ Then Daniel requested of the king, and he set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, over the affairs of the province of Babylon: but Daniel sat in the gate of the king.”

The pagan king acknowledged God (whom he did not believe in). Excellence pulls people to God. That is one reason why all Christians should endeavor to be excellent. All the magicians, astrologers, witches, and wizards could not help the King regarding his dream. However, Daniel was able to do so. This action pleased the King that he promoted Daniel and his friends. Excellence fosters the growth of oneself and the development of others. Excellence also makes one trustworthy and reliable. To be upgraded to a particular position, one must trust you to give you that position. King Nebuchadnezzar trusted Daniel when Daniel requested him to promote his friends. The King believed that because Daniel was reliable, his friends were dependable as well.

Let’s consider a third example of Daniel:

Daniel 6:1-3 (KJV) – “¹ It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom an hundred and twenty princes, which should be over the whole kingdom; ² And over these three presidents; of whom Daniel was first: that the princes might give accounts unto them, and the king should have no damage. ³ Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes because an excellent spirit was in him, and the king thought to set him over the whole realm.”

The Medes and Persians overthrew Babylon’s Kingdom, and therefore Darius was the new king. In most instances, when a new ruler takes over, they replace the entire staff with a new team. In this case, things were different; King Darius didn’t replace Daniel. He promoted Daniel to a higher rank. To further prove God’s favor on Daniel, Darius was

not just a new king; He was a new king in a new kingdom. When you do things to the glory of God, you should neither worry about who is going to rule nor worry about the geographic location you are in. Daniel was made a President and was placed as the highest President among the three presidents. Daniel 6:3 explains why the king preferred him above all presidents. The reason is that an excellent spirit was in him. To emphasize this point, let’s look at Daniel 6:4. Daniel 6:4 (KJV) – “Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom, but they could find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him.” The presidents and princes were jealous of Daniel; they tried to find fault to bring him down, but they found none.

How to cultivate the Spirit of Excellence

1. Ask God to give you excellence

1 John 5:14 (KJV) – “And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us:”

The above verse says that whatever we ask God according to His will, He will listen to us. Asking God for excellence is according to His will; if we ask for it, He will surely give us because He wants us to represent Him in the best way possible.

God told Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply (Genesis 1:28), which means that God is a God of growth. Stagnation is not the will of God. It is the will of Satan. To clarify this, let’s take a look at John 15:1-2 (KJV) – “¹ I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. ² Every branch in me that beareth not fruit He taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, He purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.”

God wants us to keep on growing from one level to another. That is why Proverbs 4:18 (KJV) says, “But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.”

The question is, how then do we grow?

Growth happens when older things get replaced with newer items. To exemplify this statement, when someone is growing physically, i.e., a child, at every level of his or her growth, he does away with the clothes he used to wear because they can’t fit anymore and replaces them with new clothes. You do not feel when you are growing physically till you try to wear a cloth that you were accustomed to wearing only to find out that it is too small for you, which was too big for you sometime back. The same thing happens with our spiritual and mental ability. That which we find difficult at a lower level becomes easy at a higher level when we are introduced to more complex things.

Having established this, we can say that we need to get better and better each day to grow. We can also say that we need to be more excellent each day to grow into greatness. In John 15:2, God says that for every branch that does not bear fruit, He takes it away.

God wants us to grow; that is why He wants us to be excellent in everything we do. That means if we ask God for excellence, He is undoubtedly going to give us.

Let’s look at more examples of excellence being a requirement from God:

Matthew 5:20 (KJV) – “For I say unto you, that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.”

Jesus told His disciples that if their righteousness does not exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees, it is impossible to enter heaven.

The question is who were the Pharisees and scribes?

The Pharisees were among the most respectable people in Jewish society. They were teachers of the law and therefore understood the commandments more than most of the population. On the other hand, the scribes helped the prophets write the Bible. In most

instances, even though they were secretly sinners it was impossible to imagine such people sinning. Jesus understood that. Therefore, He did not tell His disciples that if their righteousness does not exceed the scribes’ and Pharisees’, it will be difficult for them to enter the Kingdom of heaven. He instead told them that if it does not exceed that limit, it will be impossible for them to enter the Kingdom of heaven. He tries to encourage his disciples to pursue the highest possible righteousness level in this context. He is trying to encourage His disciples to pursue excellence. Is there a spiritual leader in the world you look up to and admire?

Jesus is telling you that if your righteousness does not exceed theirs, you cannot enter heaven. God is not calling us to compete with others. That does not mean one should go around measuring people’s righteousness because one should not judge. It means you need to be as close to God as possible. It means you need to work out your salvation with fear and trembling with the help of Jesus (Philippians 2:12). It means you need to strive to be 100% Christian (99.9% is not enough for God). You may fail to reach that 100% mark in your lifetime, but your commitment needs to be 100%. And if your commitment is 100%, God will fill the rest for you.

All areas of our lives are connected to our spiritual lives. Therefore as we work out excellence in our spiritual life, we need to practice the same in other aspects of life. You cannot be excellent in your spiritual life and be mediocre in your workplace. It doesn’t make sense. Excellence in your spiritual life will prove excellence in other areas of life. Having Matthew 5:20 in mind, what can we say? If you are not utilizing your gift to maximum capacity, you cannot enter the Kingdom of heaven (parable of the ten talents). Is your calling in leadership? Which world leader do you admire? Jesus is telling you, if your administration does not exceed the administration of your role model leader, you shall not enter the Kingdom of heaven. One can neither measure a gift nor its results in complete accuracy. Meaning one cannot measure if their leadership is better than that of someone else or their musical talent is better than the other person’s. Therefore, this means that for you to reach the highest levels of excellence in your field, the only person you should be competing with is yourself. Have role models, teachers, mentors, people that you draw inspiration from but strive to be the best version of yourself. Every new day you should aim to be better than yourself in the previous days. What are you called

upon to do by God? Strive to do it in the most excellent way possible. That is one key to entering the Kingdom of heaven.

When you tell them to work on their spiritual life, numerous Christians will say to you their spiritual life is okay. Remember that your spiritual life is not okay as long as you are alive because your light needs to shine more and more (Proverbs 4:18). If your light is bright today, it ought to be more brilliant tomorrow. In Matthew 19:16-24, a rich man came to Jesus to ask him what he needs to do to get eternal life; Jesus answered by listing some commandments. Afterward, the young man said, “All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?” (Matthew 19:20, KJV). In other words, the rich man had a sense of self-righteousness. He felt like he was sinless, his spiritual life was okay, and he needed not to do more, but deep down in his heart of hearts he still felt incomplete (that’s why he came to Jesus to ask him). Jesus then told him, Matthew 19:21-22 (KJV) – “²¹ If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. ²² But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.”

Jesus was trying to tell the young man that his spiritual life was not okay, it was not perfect. If it were flawless, the young man would have sold his possessions and followed Christ with no hesitation. He claimed to have kept all God’s commandments but broke the first since He esteemed his riches higher than God. He claimed to love his neighbor as himself, but if he truly loved his neighbor as himself, he would have sold all his possessions and given them to the poor as Jesus had told him to. The young man leaving the scene with sorrow is symbolic of him giving up on His spiritual life. In His mind, as he was going to approach Jesus, he was expecting Jesus to tell him that his spiritual life is okay; he need not work on it. Most times, when we go to church or approach a spiritual leader with a question, we go to them with ready-made answers in our minds. When the spiritual leader does not give us the answer we want to hear, we leave with sorrow, and at times we go away forever. The truth that sets us free is meant to set us free from all problems holding us back and weighing us down; it is not meant to make us give up like how the young man gave up. Ask yourself, what more do you need to do to enter the

Kingdom of God? You may be reasonably decent, doing almost everything good in your life but still holding on to one sin, like not keeping the Sabbath day holy or always telling white lies. Many Christians are living a reasonably decent life. They don’t steal; lie, fight, insult, and they don’t kill and thus feel like they have done enough. Till you die, you have not done enough.

Matthew 7:22-23 (KJV) – “²² Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name? And in Thy name have cast out devils? And in Thy name done many wonderful works? ²³ And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” Take note that in this context, the people addressed are not just ordinary Christians; they are spiritual leaders in Christianity who have done many good works and probably think that they have access to the Kingdom of heaven by those good works. Jesus is telling them that those good works are not enough. Strive to do more. Strive to be excellent!

While you ask God to give you excellence, ask Him to subdue all the pride in your heart. What is pride? Pride is uplifting oneself and trying to command respect, and it is the cause of all sin. Satan was kicked out of heaven because of pride. Isaiah 14:13-14 (KJV) says, – “¹³ For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: ¹⁴ I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.” Notice the phrase “Thou hast said in thine heart.” Pride starts from the heart. We are all proud as a result of our sinful nature; the difference is the degree. Some people are proud in their hearts, but you will never know because pride is usually subtle until challenged. When one is proud, they are not open to learning, therefore remaining in the same spot for years. When you do away with pride, you open up your mind and heart for more education. With increased knowledge and exposure, you become more and more excellent in the things you do. That is why Matthew 5:5 says, “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth” (KJV). And Matthew 5:3 says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (KJV). Let’s not forget Matthew 5:6, which says, “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled” (KJV). The pride of Lucifer brought evil into the world, and the humility of Jesus saved the whole world from sin.

Philippians 2:5-8 (KJV) – “⁵ Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: ⁶

Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: ⁷ But made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: ⁸ And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”

Daniel 8:15-16 (KJV) – “¹⁵ And it came to pass, when I, even I Daniel, had seen the vision and sought for the meaning, then, behold, there stood before me as the appearance of a man. ¹⁶ And I heard a man’s voice between the banks of Ulai, which called, and said, Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision.” – After Daniel saw the vision, he tried his best to find out the meaning, after exhausting his efforts; he went to God for divine assistance. God saw that he had tried his best. He sent Gabriel to help him understand the vision. Divine help loves working hand in hand with human effort. God gives us the privilege to work with Him whereby He does the most work and we do the minor work. When Jesus arrived at the scene of Lazarus’ death, He told them in John 11:39 – “Take ye away the stone.” After they rolled the stone, Jesus raised Lazarus from death (John 11:41-44). If He could raise the dead, He could move the rock too. “We need to understand that God can never do, what He has empowered us to do, and if he does that, then it becomes a waste of the gift he gave you” – Pastor Randy Skeete. Do what you can and when God sees your effort, He will do what you are unable to do for yourself.

God requires us to be excellent in all that we do (except sin). Therefore, how can we be excellent? We can be excellent by involving God in everything we do, from the main things to the minor things (which we think unnecessary to involve Him). You want to buy a car and wonder which car to buy, ask God to help you make an excellent decision. You find it hard to choose a dress you want to wear to work; ask God for His guidance. You have been given a school assignment to do; ask God to help you do it excellently. Excellence should apply in all areas of our lives, and the secret to getting it is in asking God for it first.

2.      Study and Follow God’s word

1 Corinthians 13:1-3 (NKJV) – “¹ Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. ² And though I

have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. ³ And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.”

God’s word is all bound on love. Loving God first, then loving your neighbor, that is the whole duty of man (Ecclesiastes 12:13). There is no way you can say that you love God and you do things in a mediocre way because God commands us to be excellent. John 14:15 (KJV) – “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” Being mediocre automatically means that we hate God because we are not doing things His way; we are doing things our way. We often ask God for astounding results while we do the bare minimum. If we follow God’s word, we will work excellently, and in return, God will give us magnificent results.

Let’s look at the virtue of love again, which is said to be the greatest of all gifts and fruits (1 Corinthians 13:13):

Matthew 22:36-40 (KJV) – “³⁶ Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

³⁷ Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. ³⁸ This is the first and great commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. ⁴⁰ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

Jesus taught His disciples that all the Ten Commandments are summarized to two commandments, love for God and love for your neighbor. We have already looked at

love for God. Let’s look at love for one’s neighbor. When your boss gives you work to do, you need to do it excellently. Failure to carry out the task excellently means you don’t love them. You might be having a company and a client has contracted you to carry out a particular service for them, do it excellently, that is one way to prove that you love them. Love is not just a mere emotion as many think; it is an active doing and giving force.

The word of God is based on love. Excellence is a godly principle, and it is based on love too. God’s word has all the guides, tactics, and methods to live an exceptional lifestyle.

Therefore, study God’s word and follow it.

3.      Utilize your gifts to the best of your ability

1 Peter 4:10-11 (NKJV) – “¹⁰ As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. ¹¹ If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

In 1 Peter 4:10, it is clear that everyone is born with a gift. The verse compels us to use that gift to serve others. The next verse, verse 11, tells us how we need to use our gifts. “Let him speak as the oracles of God,” the oracles of God are excellent. Therefore if one is speaking, they need to speak excellently. The following phrase follows, “If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever.” This verse implies that we need to use our abilities to the maximum capacity. No one, including great men and women who have lived in this world, has ever exhausted their ability. If we endeavor to use our abilities to maximum capacity, we will be surprised at what we can do. Many things which look impossible to us are possible; we just need to apply our abilities to the very best to realize our strengths. Many will do very little because they are afraid of tiring their bodies and minds, among other unreal uncertainties threatening to unfold.

Using your gifts to the best of your ability should be guided by a single divine purpose, and that is to bring more souls to Christ. The sure way to do that is to use it according to God’s guidelines. Exodus 35:10 (NKJV) – “All who are gifted artisans among you shall come and make all that the Lord has commanded:”

Therefore, to use your gift excellently, you need to use it to serve God. And why should you use it to serve God?

James 1:17 (KJV) – “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”

Every gift you possess is from God, so why not use it to serve Him? This is what happens when you put your gift to Godly use:

Proverbs 22:29 (NKJV) – “Do you see a man who excels in his work? He will stand before kings; He will not stand before unknown men.”

4.      Have a positive attitude

Philippians 4:4 (KJV) – “Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.”

The above verse is one of the best texts in the Bible to go to when you have a bad mood and when you feel like things aren’t going the way you expected. No matter the circumstances, don’t let sorrow weigh you down. Thank God for every situation because there is a reason behind Him allowing that situation to happen. In Philippians 4:4, Paul uses the word always. The word always means at all times, when things are good and when things are tough. He goes on to create emphasis by saying, “and again.” God knows that there are times we feel like giving up on our faith and ourselves, and thus, He encourages us to rejoice. Troubles should not make us lose face and feel discouraged.

They should make us strive to enter through the narrow gate by giving us an understanding that this world is not our home.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (KJV) – “¹⁶ Rejoice evermore. ¹⁷ Pray without ceasing. ¹⁸ In everything, give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”

It seems unpractical to the carnal mind to pray and thank God when faced with a rough situation, and therefore many will neglect this gem of advice. Try doing it once and see the sense of relief that you will experience in your mind. Almost all the heaviness that you are encountering will be lifted out. Do this continually, and a positive attitude will be part and parcel of you.

Below are some quotes about positive thinking that may help you to understand better what it means to have a positive attitude:

“A positive thinker does not refuse to recognize the negative, he refuses to dwell on it” – The Amazing Results of Positive Thinking, Norman Vincent Pearle.

“Positive thinking is a form of thought which habitually looks for the best results from the worst conditions” – The Amazing Results of Positive Thinking, Norman Vincent Pearle.

Orville Richard Burrell alias Shaggy once said, “no matter how you are sad and blue, there’s always someone who has it worse than you.” The answer to developing positive thoughts and a positive attitude is Jesus. That is why in Matthew 11:28, He says, “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” There is infinite peace and happiness when you lay all your cares and worries in God’s hands. The devil knows this; that is why he tries hard to keep you distracted, depriving you of time to interact with God through prayer and Bible study. The devil will keep you busy with video games, movies, secular music, dating sites, drugs, immorality so that you can get more deteriorated. That is why innumerable people in the world view Godly things as boring. There is a profound inner peace that surpasses understanding when one takes time to interact with God. That peace is unexplainable and difficult to comprehend until you experience it. Interaction with God gives you joy no matter the situation you are going through. It also gives you a special glow in your physical appearance (the way Moses’ face was shining after interacting with God. It elevates your mind exponentially.

Without a positive mind, it is impossible to do things excellently because you will be carrying out duties to merely get them done, not to get them rightly done. The more you seek God and engage in biblical practices, the more your mind becomes positive.

Therefore, keep yourself busy in doing the right things, i.e., prayer, bible study, visiting the afflicted, your occupation and physical body exercise,

In the book Ministry of Healing page 239 (paragraph 1 & 2) – 240 (paragraph 1), Ellen White writes, “When invalids have nothing to occupy their time and attention, their thoughts become centered upon themselves, and they grow morbid and irritable. Many times they dwell upon their bad feelings until they think themselves much worse than they really are and wholly unable to do anything.

In all these cases, well-directed physical exercise would prove an effective remedial agent. In some cases, it is indispensable to the recovery of health. The will goes with the labor of the hands, and what these invalids need is to have the will aroused. When the will is dormant, the imagination becomes abnormal, and it is impossible to resist disease.

Inactivity is the greatest curse that could come upon most invalids. Light employment in useful labor, while it does not tax mind or body, has a happy influence upon both. It strengthens the muscles, improves the circulation, and gives the invalid the satisfaction of knowing that he is not wholly useless in this busy world. He may be able to do but little at first, but he will soon find his strength increasing, and the amount of work done can be increased accordingly.”

5.      Consistency

In layman’s terms, consistency means “not stopping.” Consistency is a potent tool in pursuing excellence.

Luke 15:4 (KJV) – “What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost until he finds it?”

The keyword in the above text is ‘until.’ The word until in this context means not giving up. The shepherd in the parable will go to great lengths and will not stop until he finds that one sheep.

“How long should you try? Until” – Jim Rohn

Very few people are extraordinarily successful because most people give up too quickly. The more consistent you are in a specific course, the better you become in it. Excellence is not a one-time event; it is a continuous process. Continuing persistently in something improves it since you gain new knowledge and new exposure, and therefore, you can use it to improve what is already there.

“That which at first seems difficult, by constant repetition grows easy.” – The Ministry of Healing, Page 491.3, Ellen G. White.

1 Samuel 17:36 (KJV) – “Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.”

David was consistent in his endeavors, ever since he was a shepherd till he became King. Killing the lion and bear while watching after his Father’s sheep gave him confidence that he could defeat Goliath, the giant, the Israelite army had greatly feared. Consistency breeds excellence; it breeds confidence, generates courage, and fosters character.

Joseph in the Bible had the gift of interpreting dreams. He interpreted the dreams of prisoners while in prison (Genesis 40). This small action that would have been overlooked by many made him promoted to the highest position in Egypt (Genesis

41:41). The only person above him was Pharaoh. Pharaoh placed Joseph higher than Potiphar, who had earlier thrown him in prison. Let’s not forget that before Potiphar imprisoned him, he was consistent in his actions. He was excellent in his Father’s house, excellent as a servant in Potiphar’s house, excellent in prison, and excellent as the second highest person in Egypt.

Remember when Joseph’s brothers, who had earlier sold him as a slave in the land of Egypt, came to him, seeking help. Joseph recognized them and did well to them. He did not repay evil with evil because that is not excellence. He portrayed impeccable character by repaying evil with good.

Hebrew 11:8-10 (KJV) – “⁸ By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. ⁹ By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: ¹⁰ For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.”

In Hebrews 11:8, Abraham obeyed God by going to a strange land he knew nothing about before receiving it as an inheritance (excellent action that portrayed tremendous faith). God seeing this, blessed Abraham with that land (God rewards excellence). In Hebrews 11:9, he stuck with God even after receiving the land as an inheritance (excellent action) because his focus was not materialistic riches (although God made him very rich, materially, Genesis 13:1-2). His focus was on the life to come. This behavior is not expected among many Christians because many seek God when they want specific blessings. Immediately after getting those blessings, they abandon God. Abraham practiced excellence at all times.

John 8:29 (KJV) – “And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.”

The word always represents consistency.

“Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who had kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.” ― Dale Carnegie.

“You do what you can for as long as you can, and when you finally can’t, you do the next best thing. You back up, but you don’t give up.” ― Chuck Yeager.

Keep in mind that whatever good thing you are enjoying right now results from consistency. Consistency breeds excellence.

6.      Value everything you do except sin

Genesis 1:4 (KJV) – “And God saw the light, that it was good.”

Genesis 1:10 (KJV) – “And God called the dry land Earth, and the gathering together of the waters called He Seas: and God saw that it was good.”

Genesis 1:12 (KJV) – “And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.”

Genesis 1:18 (KJV) – “And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.”

Genesis 1:21 (KJV) – “And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.”

Genesis 1:25 (KJV) – “And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and everything that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.”

Genesis 1:31 (KJV) – “And God saw everything that He had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.”

In the story of creation, God looked upon His creation and saw that it was good. In the beginning, God set an example by placing value in everything He did. God did not despise anything He created. The phrase ‘and God saw that it was good’ repeatedly appears in this chapter. Let’s emphasize the word ‘everything.’ Everything includes the enormous things to the smallest of things. From the ant to the elephant, God looked at everything He had made, and all was very good. There is nothing that God created poorly.

Most of us classify work that we have been given. As a result, we choose to be excellent in some work and sloppy in others. For example, if your country’s president or ruler gives you an assignment to carry out, you will do it with all your might because he is the President. On the contrary, if someone you look down on gives you the same assignment, you will carry it out with contempt. This behavior brought by the carnal mind, practiced continually, leads us to disregard God, who is the highest of the highest. For instance, when in a courtroom with an earthly judge, one cannot use their cell phone or chew gum. One tries to be on their best behavior. However, in the presence of God, people use their phones to check text messages from friends while the pastor is preaching. Those of us who do that do that because we can’t see God, so we tend not to care. Such behavior portrays a lack of faith because we highly regard earthly people since they are visible and disrespect God because He is invisible. Take note that God cannot work out great things in your life if He is not honored. Hebrews 11:27 (KJV) – “By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.” Moses chose to fear God who was invisible rather than the visible King, and as a result, God was able to carry out mighty works through him.

Do not just place value on the things you think are essential; put a value on everything you do. Whether it is giving something to someone or cleaning your house, endeavor to do everything excellently. Booker Taliaferro Washington, a leading African American intellectual of the 19^th Century, had a burning desire to go to school. He did not have money for school fees as he was born to an African-American slave woman named Jane Washington. He wanted to go to school but he had no money. Due to the zeal for education, he

took on a journey to find a school. Washington traveled for 400 miles (643 KM); he would walk some, jump on trains and hide, looking for food here and there. After what seemed like an eternity, he finally made it to Hampton Institute. After arriving at Hampton, he stood outside a class and watched students as they studied. The teacher noticed him and asked him what he wanted. Washington told the teacher that he wanted to learn but had no money. The teacher then told him to clean a classroom. Booker T cleaned it. Afterward, when he was done, the teacher took a white handkerchief and rubbed it on the floor to check if she will find dust; she found none. That teacher was so impressed that she admitted him on the spot. Booker T. Washington cleaned the class with his might; he did not look down upon that ‘little’ work. He did it in the best way possible and thus made his dream of obtaining an education come true (something significant) by doing something little in excellence.

Luke 16:10 (KJV) – “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.”

7.      Give attention to details

Genesis 2:8-9 (KJV) – “⁸ And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed. ⁹ And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.”

Genesis 2:16-17 (KJV) “¹⁶ And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: ¹⁷ But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”

Right from the days of creation, God gave attention to detail. He created a garden and told the man that he was free to eat from every tree in the garden. However, Adam was commanded not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Out of the thousands of trees created, Adam and Eve were allowed to eat from all of them, except one.

That is evident that indeed God is a God of details. Many people despise small things, saying that they don’t matter. As a result, they miss out on a lot. A billion dollars cannot be a billion dollars if one cent is missing. A punctuation mark can completely alter the meaning of a sentence. If you remove one letter from any word, that word will either change or lose definition. For example, the word shame means a feeling of humiliation; take the same word shame and remove e from the word; it becomes sham which means bogus or false.

Excellence is giving attention to details. If Adam and Eve had given attention to small things initially, the world would not be facing the problems that it is facing today. If they would have obeyed that one commandment, there wouldn’t be deaths, sickness, misery, poverty, and all pertaining problems.

Hebrews 11:7 (KJV) – “By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.”

By making the ark, Noah became an heir of righteousness, which is by faith. By that act of obedience, he led his family to be saved while God destroyed the rest of the world.

Let’s look at the instructions God gave Noah for building the ark:

Genesis 6:14-16 (KJV) – “¹⁴ Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch. ¹⁵ And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits. ¹⁶ A window shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish it above; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it.”

If God was not careful about details, He would have told Noah to build the ark and let Noah figure out the measurements by himself. He gave measurements for the length, height,

and width since He is a God of details. God also gave instructions concerning the materials meant to build the ark; Notice, He did not just tell Noah to make the ark out of wood. He was specific to gopher wood. Genesis 6:22 (KJV) – “Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he.” – This verse states that Noah did exactly as God had told him to do.

After Noah did everything that God had told Him to do, giving attention to details regarding God’s commands in building the ark, this is how God responded:

Genesis 7:1 (KJV) – “And the Lord said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before Me in this generation.”

God called Noah righteous and saved him and his house from the flood because Noah did what God told him to do. Had he missed a centimeter while constructing the ark or used wood close to gopher wood but not gopher wood, he wouldn’t have pleased the Lord.

To back this statement, let’s look at someone else who angered the Lord by not giving attention to detail;

God’s Commandment to Saul:

1 Samuel 15:2-3 (KJV) – “² Thus saith the Lord of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt. ³ Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.”

Saul’s action:

1 Samuel 15:7-9 (KJV) – “⁷ And Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah until thou comest to Shur that is over against Egypt. ⁸ And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. ⁹ But Saul and the

people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them: but everything that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.”

God’s response following Saul’s action:

1 Samuel 15:11 (KJV) – “It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following Me, and hath not performed My commandments. And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the Lord all night.”

God regretted setting Saul as King. God goes further to say;

1 Samuel 15:23 (KJV) – “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king.”

Saul did almost everything that God had told him to do but missed out on very ‘minor’ things. He smote the Amalekites but spared the King and the fat animals. He killed the whole population but spared the King only. Let’s assume the people of the Amalekites were 2 million people. Statistically, we can say that Saul obeyed God 99.99995%. 99% is an excellent A score in earthly subjects, but it is a Fail to God.

Let’s look at other Bible texts that show that God loves details and expect us to do the same:

Exodus 23:2 (KJV) – “Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest judgment:”

Deuteronomy 8:1 (KJV) – “All the commandments which I command thee this day shall ye observe to do, that ye may live, and multiply, and go in and possess the land which the Lord sware unto your fathers.”

Deuteronomy 8:3 (KJV) – “And He humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that He might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live.”

Matthew 5:18 (KJV) – “For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.”

Matthew 5:19 (KJV) – “Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the Kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the Kingdom of heaven.”

Luke 18:21-22 (KJV) – “²¹ And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up. ²² Now when Jesus heard these things, He said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing.”

There are people who say that a day is not so important to God when trying to argue about the Sabbath. They say the Sabbath can be any day and God is not so narrow minded to punish someone because of a single day. God is a God of detail. The same way He got angry with Saul because of sparing one person when he was supposed to kill all the Amalekites, is the same way He will get angry with us when we keep other days as the Sabbath instead of the seventh day which is Saturday. The same way He cared on details concerning the construction of the ark, of the sanctuary and of the temple, is the same way he cares on the details of His commandments which include the Sabbath commandment.

“In the cultivation of the soil, the thoughtful worker will find that treasures little dreamed of are opening up before him. No one can succeed in agriculture or gardening without attention to the laws involved. The special needs of every variety of plants must be studied. Different varieties require different soil and cultivation, and compliance with the laws governing each is the condition of success. The attention required in transplanting, that not even a root fiber shall be crowded or misplaced, the care of the young plants, the pruning and watering, the shielding from frost at night and sun by day, keeping out weeds, disease, and insect pests, the training and arranging, not only teach important lessons concerning the development of character, but the work itself is a means of development. In cultivating carefulness, patience, attention to detail, obedience to law, it imparts a most essential training. The constant contact with the mystery of life and the loveliness of nature, as well as the tenderness called forth in ministering to these beautiful objects of God’s creation, tends to quicken the mind and refine and elevate the character; and the lessons taught prepare the worker to deal more successfully with other minds.” – Education page, 111, paragraph 3 – Ellen G. White.

Other quotes on paying attention to details:

“Attention to detail is not about perfection. It’s about excellence, about constant improvement.”

• Chris Denny, Speaker, trainer, business owner

“Details matter. It’s worth waiting to get it right.”

• Steve Jobs, Founder of Apple

“If you place emphasis on getting the little things right and address the everyday problems that come up, you can encourage a culture of attention to detail.”

• Richard Branson, Founder of Virgin

“Details make perfection, and perfection is not a detail.”

• Leonardo Da Vinci, Italian inventor, architect, artist, mathematician, scientist

“Life on earth is a whole, yet it expresses itself in unique time-bound bodies, microscopic or visible, plant or animal, extinct or living. So there can be no one place to be. There can be no one way to be, no one way to practice, no one way to learn, no one way to love, no one way to grow or to heal, no one way to live, no one way to feel, no one thing to know or be known. The particulars count.”

• Jon Kabat-Zinn, Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life

“The truth of the story lies in the details.”

• Paul Auster, The Brooklyn Follies

“Some details in life may look insignificant but appear to be vital leitmotifs in a person’s life. They may have the value of “Rosebuds” of Citizen Kane or “Madeleine cookies” of Marcel Proust or “Strawberry fields” of the Beatles. People regularly walk down the

memory lane of their early youth. The paper boats of their childhood are recurrently floating on the waves of their mind and bring back the mood and the spirit of the early days. They enable us to retreat from the trivial, daily worries and can generate delightful bliss and true joy in a sometimes frantic and chaotic life. (“Paper boats forever” )”

• Erik Pevernagie

“Tiny details imperceptible to us decide everything!”

• Winfried Georg Sebald, Vertigo

“I saw in details while she saw in scope. Not seeing the scope is why I am here, and she is not. I took each element separately and never looked to see that they never did fit together properly.”

• Erin Morgenstern, The Night Circus

“Life is not a plot; it’s in the details.”

• Jodi Picoult, Vanishing Acts

“Making my bed correctly was not going to be an opportunity for praise. It was expected of me. It was my first task of the day, and doing it right was important. It demonstrated my discipline. It showed my attention to detail, and at the end of the day, it would be a reminder that I had done something well, something to be proud of, no matter how small the task.” – Make Your Bed, Little things that can change your life and maybe the world Page 10, Admiral William H. McRaven (U.S. Navy Retired).

Therefore, always pay attention to details because it is the little things combine that make up a massive thing.

In Conclusion

We all want to live a remarkable life, and an incredible life is built by excellence. Let’s start by seeking God’s Kingdom first. Make excellence a lifestyle, make it part and parcel of you and you will always get promoted in everything you do.

GOD BLESS YOU AS YOU PRACTICE EXCELLENCE IN YOUR ENDEAVORS!

Author: Mark Alex   

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