The God we serve has a high calling on our life. As men, we are called to work hard, to provide, to protect and to lead. As image bearers of God, our calling and our identity often intersect. One area where this is evident is in the command to take dominion and pursue excellence in all we do.
Perfection and excellence is in the very nature of God. Deuteronomy 34:4 says, “The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is He.” The Psalmist realized the excellency of God and often wrote of God’s majesty. “O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens.” (Psalms 8:1).
Not only is God excellent in all things but He calls us to be perfect. In Matthew 5:48, Jesus says “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” For us, excellence starts with a relationship with a perfect Father and being connected to His Son, Jesus Christ. Men, I’m daily drawn back to the thesis of John 15 where our source of strength and excellence is emphasized. Jesus is the Vine, God our Father is the gardener and we are the branches. Without a proper relationship with God the Father and God the Son, we WILL fail. If we fail to abide then GOD’S WORD says we can do nothing! Instead of living out our design for excellence, our endeavors will be blemished, faulty and flawed.
Make sure your priorities are in their proper place and your source of strength is found in the Lord. Many of us look at our lives and take great pride in our success. When was the last time you surveyed your life and thought, “I’m doing pretty good! My marriage is great. My job is satisfying. My business is thriving. My home is in order. My mind and body are strong.” If you’re able to make that declaration, hopefully you realize that it’s all because God allowed it. You probably have put in a tremendous amount of work and sought to take dominion in those key areas but it’s only by the grace of God that the results are fruitful.
God wants us to bear fruit and see great results as we pursue excellence in all things. Remember that long lasting fruit has the most beneficial return. Galatians 5:22-23 reminds us to measure our success by the amount of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control that our life is displaying. This is the kind of fruit that matters.
Men, you have a job to do. Do it with excellence. Seek the Lord and His truth and when you do, He will not only show up but “He will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:6). May the Lord bless your steps and feed your soul. If you haven’t joined us recently for a RTM breakfast, come out and invite some other men to join!