Can you imagine what a great nation Ghana would be if our leaders were passionately striving for excellence?
Excellence is the attainment of the highest level of quality and perfection. Being excellent means becoming a person of distinction. A true leader is someone who wants to distinguish himself in his field. The blessings of the Lord are to make you the head and not the tail.
“And the Lord shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the Lord thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them,” Deuteronomy 28:13.
God had plans for his people to attain the highest levels of excellence. That is why he said they would be above only. Excellence is not an accident. It is something you must strive for. If you want to work for eight hours a day, you are not likely to achieve distinction in this life. People who distinguish themselves in this life often work for more than sixty hours a week.
Excellence demands hard work. Excellence in ministry, government or business does not come by osmosis. Excellence comes by diligence.
To become excellent you must emulate excellent people. Life is too short to discover everything yourself. Life is too short not to learn from your fathers and seniors. Excellence in the practice of medicine has been achieved by constantly building upon what our predecessors have learnt. That is why today, we are able to transplant hearts. If the heart surgeon used his time to discover which direction the blood flowed, he would be taking us back to the eighteenth century.
What is excellence?
- Excellence means perfect, entire, wanting nothing.
“But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing,” James 1:4.
- Excellence means perfect and useable for all good works. Non-excellence cannot be used.=
- Excellent is not ‘good’. Something may be good but not perfect (excellent).
“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,” James 1:17.
- Excellence means we cast out certain things.
“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love,” 1 John 4:18.
- When perfect and excellent things come, shabby things are put aside.
“But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away,” 1 Corinthians 13:10.
- Excellence is attained when you are watchful.
- Being excellent is godliness and is a command from Jesus.
“Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect,” Matthew 5:48.
Be humble and depend upon the discoveries of others. God does not want you to be mediocre. Insist on the highest standards. You can be an excellent leader. You can be an excellent businessman with a high yielding factory. Your church can be the best in the city.
Decide today for excellence! Read the books that excellent people have written. Excellence is yours for the taking! Indeed, it is our prayer that we elect into power leaders who will strive for excellence!
By Dag Heward-Mills