I’ve always been drawn to excellence.
I’ve always admired the best writers, filmmakers, athletes, and lawyers because of the quality of their work.
Before Tiger Woods was publicly exposed as a pursuer of pancake waitresses and porn stars I was one of his biggest fans.
I don’t think I’m alone. There is something in our nature that is drawn to excellence.
Marketing firms recognize this. That is why, for example, the best athletes get the best endorsement deals.
Have you ever considered why we value excellence over mediocrity? It is so intuitive it seems silly to ask the question.
I believe it is intuitive because, as image-bearers of the Creator, the desire for excellence is imprinted on our souls. Notwithstanding the corrupting influence of the Fall of Man, the echoes of the image of God can still be heard in our hearts.
Excellence is one of the character traits of God. When God created all that He created, He created it not merely good, but “very good.” Gen. 1:31. Jesus was praised for His excellence. Mark 7:37. Excellence, then, should not be a pleasant anomaly but an ethic on par with kindness, patience, and goodness. When we see excellence in an athlete, artist, or in the workplace, we are seeing a part of God.
Similarly, when Christians demonstrate the godly characteristics of excellence in their work they are showing a part of God to their coworkers and customers. Said another way, they are putting on Christ. Rom. 13:14. GS