City Life Starter

Written by Aisha Darwesh

The Word

¹² I admit that I haven’t yet acquired the absolute fullness that I’m pursuing, but I run with passion into his abundance so that I may reach the purpose for which Christ Jesus laid hold of me to make me his own. ¹³ I don’t depend on my own strength to accomplish this; however I do have one compelling focus: I forget all of the past as I fasten my heart to the future instead. ¹⁴ I run straight for the divine invitation of reaching the heavenly goal and gaining the victory-prize through the anointing of Jesus.

Phillippians 3:12-14 (TPT)

⁷ I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. ⁸ And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing.

2 Timothy 4:7-8 (NLT)

Aisha’s Analysis

Today’s scriptures show us that excellence is not so much about acquiring perfection than it is about developing and maintaining faithfulness to God. When you think of excellence in terms of a relationship, it becomes a lot more attainable. After all, love is a very powerful motivator. 

Not only that, but it is actually God who empowers us to be excellent: His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence (2 Peter 1:3 ESV). This removes the burden and pressure of perfectionism from the excellence equation. Excellence is not merely an honest effort to try harder, but rather excellence flows out of an anointing from God’s Presence.

One of the definitions Merriam-Webster gives for the word “anoint” is to rub on or smear on with oil. This again speaks to the relational aspect of excellence. Excellence is not something we attain in our own strength, but it “rubs off on us” from our Heavenly Father who is excellent in all of His ways. 

Finally, excellence is about finishing well. I look at the above verses from the Apostle Paul and see his fortitude to press on even through horrendous conditions came from his ability to put the past behind him and focus on his future in Christ. Having an eternal perspective changes the way we live our lives here on earth. It gives meaning to the pain and suffering we go through in life and hope for the future: For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison (2 Corinthians 4:17 ESV).

Application

The two takeaways from this devo are: 1) Excellence is relational; and, 2) Excellence is eternal. If you are experiencing anything less than excellence right now, consider those two factors and evaluate how you can incorporate them into your day-to-day routine. 

If you are burned out, bored, or afraid to step out and take a risk, chances are you have lost sight of the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:14 KJV). Shift your attention to Jesus and consider the glorious future that awaits you in Him. 

I hope this helps you either stay on or redirect you back to the path of excellence. God is worth whatever trials or suffering we go through, and He has already equipped us with all that we need to be truly excellent. 

Prayer

Father God, like the Apostle Paul, I want to be able to say that I have finished the race and remained faithful to You. Help me make that a reality. I can’t do this without You. Knowing You is what keeps me going. Thank You, Lord, for being with me always. In Jesus’ name, amen.