We have
considered some important points on the subject of striving for excellence. The
points we have highlighted so far have been:
From this
week, I would like to share some important internal attitudes that are required
in striving for excellence.
1.
Determination
I often
come across people who are highly talented and even many who are very skilled
or gifted. Some are even more educated than their peers but sadly they do not
excel. I have found that in a number of such cases, what is lacking is
determination.
I took the
liberty to look up that word in different dictionaries and I found a number of
insightful definitions:
“A quality that makes you continue trying
to do or achieve something that is difficult” (Merriam Webster)
“A positive emotion that involves
persevering towards a difficult goal in spite of obstacles” (Wikipedia)
“The act of deciding definitively and
firmly, firm or fixed intention to achieve a desired end” (Webster)
The
simplest of the definitions was from the Urban
Dictionary which defined determination as “simply not giving up”
Desire
many times is not enough to sustain us as we strive for excellence. Talent,
ability or giftedness is also not enough. Education and training alone are also
not enough. It requires determination. There are usually obstacles and
challenges along the path as we try to give expression to God’s seed of
excellence and this is what makes it necessary for us to be determined about
it.
Sometimes,
the discouragement is from people around especially when a culture of
mediocrity has been woven into the fabrics of such societies. Attempts to
strive for excellence are usually suppressed in such environments because people
would like the status quo to be maintained. Some would hurl insults, scorn and
sometimes even take steps to subvert the efforts.
Going back
again to Daniel as one of the prime examples of God’s people who had remarkable
success as a product of striving for excellence, one thing stands out quite
early in the Old testament narrative of his life. Daniel 1:8 says he “determined
that he would not defile himself with the king’s food…” And he must have needed
a good deal of determination to navigate the intrigues of the King’s magicians,
sorcerers, enchanters and astrologers.
Andrae
Crouch (July 1942 – January 2015) is regarded as the “father of modern day
gospel music”, leaving us with lyrics and music that continue to reach people
all over the world. Some of his well-known songs are “Jesus is the answer” and “Soon
and very soon”.
Many of us
however, do not realize that Andrae Crouch had a learning disability called
dyslexia. Determined not to allow the dyslexia limit him, Crouch learnt more
with drawings and images rather than words. He would begin the song writing
process by drawing a picture of what he wanted the song to sound like and he
used his visual skills to write dozens of songs and thus overcame the obstacle
of difficulty with spellings of words.
In 1967, a
young lady (17 year old at that time) had a diving accident that left her
quadriplegic in a wheelchair. Joni Eareckson Tada (now aged 66) in spite of
this is an author, artist, singer, radio personality and an advocate for the
disabled. During her rehabilitation after the accident, Joni spent long hours learning
how to paint with a brush between her teeth. She can also write this way. Her
high-detail fine art paintings are much sought-after and collected. She has
also written over 50 books. According to her autobiography, she experienced
anger, depression, suicidal thoughts and doubts during the two years of
rehabilitation yet she emerged with new skills and has gone on to abound
further.
I
encourage you dear friends as we strive for excellence, be determined. Do not
give up no matter the challenges in your path. Do not settle for anything less
than what God has called you to. Approach it with determination, not an outward
sensational expression but an internal attitude of tenacity. Be determined to
excel!
To be continued…
God bless you Pastor.
ReplyDeleteThank you and Amen Precious.
DeleteThanks so much for this piece. The definition from Webster dictionary really got me. You brought something in me alive with write up. Thanks and God bless you always.
ReplyDeleteYou are welcome Fola. God bless you!
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