Mediocrity or Excellence

Do you know we are called to be people of excellence? However, truth be told, most people are stuck in the “mire of mediocrity.” It’s those who pursue a walk of excellence who find the real rewards in life. They live life on a whole new level, experiencing true fulfillment and satisfaction that many others miss out on.

Stuck in the Middle

Mediocrity means, “Average, status quo, moderate-to-low in quality.” The mediocre person is not really bad, but they’re not really good either—they are someone who’s halfway between failure and success, and as a result, they are frustrated and unfulfilled. This “average person” does just enough to get by but never goes the extra mile.

I remember a time years ago when I was walking down the hall of a hotel after finishing a conference. I stopped to get a cup full of ice from the machine, and as I turned to walk away, a piece of ice fell out of my cup onto the floor. With my hands full and my feet hurting, I decided to kick the ice off to the side.

Well, I got a few feet down the hall and the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart and said, “Go pick it up.” I responded, “I can’t pick it up. My hands are full, and besides that, my feet are tired.” Again, He said, “Pick it up.” I said, “But Lord, it’s dirty. What am I supposed to do with it anyway?” He said, “If this was your hotel, would you want people kicking ice into the corners, leaving it to melt and mess up the carpet?” Obviously, my answer was no, so I put my stuff down and picked up the ice.

Now you may think I am being ridiculous, but I don’t think so. Mediocrity may be acceptable in society, but I don’t believe it is applauded in heaven. If we want our lives to make an impact on those around us, then we have to choose to move beyond mediocrity.

Think about it. Average, mediocre people are not remembered. The heroes found in history books and the Bible are not average people—they are people who did extraordinary things. They are the ones who went above and beyond what was expected of them. If you and I want to be remembered, we are going to have to choose to be people of excellence!

Be a Person of Excellence

An excellent person is someone who exceeds the status quo—they do more than what is expected. As people of excellence, you and I need to do what is right even when no one else is around. We need to realize that God sees everything, and that everything we do in secret will eventually come out into the open—both good and bad.

Colossians 3:23-24 says that whatever task we work at, we need to ...work at it heartily (from the soul), as [something done] for the Lord and not for men, knowing [with all certainty] that it is from the Lord [and not from men] that [we] will receive the inheritance... (AMPC).

The fact is, you and I do not serve an average God. We serve a God of excellence—one who does exceedingly and abundantly above all that we could ask or think. As His representatives, we are called to show forth His character in everything that we do.

The Bible says in Daniel 6:3, that ...Daniel was distinguished above the presidents and the satraps because an excellent spirit was in him, and the king thought to set him over the whole realm (AMPC).

I believe having an excellent spirit is many times just a matter of having an excellent attitude. This is the kind of attitude that says, “I’ll do whatever you need, however you need it, and whenever you need it done.” The person with an excellent attitude takes what they have and does the best they can with it.

One of the things that God told Dave and me early in ministry was that if we wanted to have a successful ministry, we needed to be people of excellence. It hasn’t always been easy, because, again, excellence requires going the extra mile...many times when we don’t feel like it! However, I can say that we wouldn’t be where we are today—we wouldn’t have the privilege of helping nearly as many people—if we never pressed past mediocrity into excellence.

The Power to Choose

Wherever you are right now in your life, you got there by a series of choices. I realize that as children, other people made choices for us that may have been unwise or damaging. However, just because we started out somewhere doesn’t mean we have to finish there. God doesn’t show partiality—He sets the same opportunities for success before everyone. His promises are available to whosoever will believe and obey His Word.

If you want your life to change, then your choices have to change, and today is the best day of your life to begin. I challenge you to draw a line separating you from your past and make the choice to move forward as a person of excellence. Push past the mediocrity and surrender your soul—your mind, will, and emotions—to God, and let Him give you His grace to see and choose the more excellent ways.