Unrushed Living: Embracing Simplicity and Savoring Life's MomentsSample

Wonder: True Excellence

Who among the gods is like you, LORD? Who is like You—majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders? EXODUS 15:11

She looked up from her work and breathed. She’d been in her head a lot. But the sun was shining, and she could hear the sounds of happiness outside her window. Maybe she needed a break with the ones she loved most. Sure, she was busy. But nothing mattered more than truly living.

There's a big difference between perfection and excellence. When we seek perfection, we tend to get bogged down by overachievement and stress. We’re aiming for not just a moving target, but a target that is far, far beyond our reach. We were never meant to be perfect or do perfect work. That is a job God wants to do Himself. Matthew 5:48 calls us to be perfect in the moment, which involves us living in the center of His will for our lives. Philippians 1:6 assures us that God will do the ongoing work in us so that one day we will be fully complete. But perfection as we usually see it—straight As or a household run with precision—just isn’t what God desires. We wear ourselves out trying to act like God. Excellence, on the other hand, is taking the gifts He has given us and cultivating them. Excellence takes into account that God is the One who gives us any ability at all. We can give Him and the world the very best of what we’ve been given, continually growing, and that is a beautiful thing. What are the gifts that you use with excellence? Do you often consider being excellent in kindness, joy, and the other fruit of the Spirit? Consider where you put your efforts, and ask God if you’re on track to gain excellence in His eyes.

God,

so often, my own interests and goals get in the way of the work You are doing in my life. I forget that You are so much greater, wiser, more eternal, and in control. May I stop regularly to remind myself of the difference in importance between You and me. Please keep me close to You so that I will always sense the size of You. Keep me humble.

In Jesus’s name, Amen.