Stand Out

By Pastor Jeffrey Smith 

My family took a trip to North Carolina a few years ago, and I became terribly sick on route to our destination. We made an unplanned stop at a random motel so I could rest for the evening.  I  dragged my way to the motel lobby and found a lady at the front desk doodling on a notepad. She made no eye contact and kept to herself.  She finally glared at me after tapping my foot on the ground for a few moments. “ Do you rent rooms here?” I asked her patiently.  She rudely snarled “ It says, “Motel” out there doesn’t it?!”  Needless to say, it was a bad customer service experience.

On a different occasion, my friend invited me to eat have lunch with him at the Ritz Carlton in Miami.  I asked a bellman if he could tell me where the restaurant was in the building. He looked at me with a smile and said, “ Yes I know where it is, but I am going to personally take you there.” He would not take no for an answer but kindly stated that it would be his pleasure to serve me. He enthusiastically mentioned several of his favorite dishes from the restaurant.  Needless to say, the bellman exceeded my expectations.   All of us love excellence and drawn towards it.  Anyone in a position of leadership is looking for someone with a spirit of excellence.

 Isaiah 60:1-3 says

“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.”

God has called us to stand out in this world. The word “excel’ means to surpass others and to do extremely well.  This means that when there is a standard expected of everyone at your job or sphere of influence, you choose to exceed that.

Excellence is not aptitude, but an attitude. You choose to do well because you know that your performance ultimately determines your platform. It doesn’t matter what your area is- you could be a car salesman, a janitor, or a mayor- God desires to shine through your excellence.   When you dedicate your life to developing yourself and doing your work with excellence, he will create the appropriate platform you. When you are faithful with the little He’s given you, He will make you ruler over much.