Don't Settle for Good

One of the greatest things that I've learned while in NYC is the importance of striving for excellence in everything I do and just how hard that truly is. Churches in NYC have had a reputation for doing things half way for quite some time. So when trying to minister in a city that does literally everything with excellence and moves out those who don't, churches have had a bad reputation. However, that culture is changing as many churches are being planted in the city with resolve to minister with excellence. This standard for excellence, though, should not only be for the Church in NYC.

We serve the most worthy and glorious God of the universe, and He deserves only the most excellent. We must seek to do everything with excellence for the glory of God. Whether you are a part of a church in NYC, the Bible Belt, or a foreign land, we must represent God in a way that is worthy of His name. The key is constant evaluation of everything we do, constant improvement in the areas that can be made better, and constant willingness to change everything including the things that have always been done and even those that are working well. For excellence is what we are striving toward not just simply good.

While we must certainly seek this excellence in our churches, that pursuit must start in our individual lives. We must have constant evaluation, constant improvement, and constant willingness to change even in our everyday lives. Do not settle for good. Be excellent in everything. Paul exhorts us to this too, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.” [Colossians 3:23-24]

The constant process of evaluation, improvement, and change can be exhausting though. So we must find our strength more and more in the Lord. Time and time again, I have found myself returning to the verses that God gave me during my first few weeks in NYC: Psalm 73:23-26. V. 26 says, "My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." We serve an eternally faithful God, and He is faithful to continually give us strength for the glory of His name. Let us live lives of excellence for the honor and glory of the One who is infinitely worth.

May the grace and peace of Christ be with you all,

-BMoore