Pursuing for Excellence

“Not that I have already obtained all things or have already been made perfect, but I pass on to take hold or not for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead. I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:12-14 (NIV)

A beautiful woman in God’s eyes is a woman of excellence. She is not complacent but hardworking and will strive for the heavenly prize.

This kind of woman keeps her goals set high, Paul was satisfied with Christ, but he was not satisfied with himself. As he expressed in his letter to the Philippians, he kept moving forward for the prize of Christ approval and the heavenly prize. Just like the apostle Paul, a Christian woman has to press on to know Christ and become like him. A Christian woman is to be content in the Lord at the same time she should never be self-satisfied with the present progress in her Christian walk. She has to be constantly moving forward to achieve a heavenly prize.

A woman of excellence will never settle for mediocrity, and will not be content with an average performance since she desires the approval of the Master Jesus Christ. She is pressing on towards excellence in everything she does. For her, Jesus Christ her king deserves the best from her. Whatever ministry she handles she is a hardworking worker, well determined and highly disciplined. Even in her secular life, her career life is a demonstration of dedication to excellence.

During the new testament Apostle times, in his letter to the Christians in the church of Rome, the Apostle Paul commended highly a woman named Persis. Persis whom Paul considered a dear friend was a ministry worker in the church of Rome. Paul commended her as someone who has worked very hard in the Lord.

The New Testament Apostolic Church had many other women who worked hard in the ministry among them whom Paul commended were: Mary, also worked very hard for the Christians in Rome, Tryphena, and Tryphosa[ , also women who worked hard in the Lord, Rufus’ Mother who had been a mother to Paul also, Julia and Nereus’ sister.

(Bible Text: Romans 16:12)

These women experienced God’s marvelous work of grace in their lives that made them well-determined women to press on for the heavenly prize.

My friend Adeline is such a hardworking career and ministry worker. She excels in doing the Lord’s work and in managing the affairs of her household. Although she works full time as an accountant, she can still find time to introduce the Gospel to a lost soul. As a taxi passenger, she can very well find ways to introduce Christ to the driver. As a mother, she sees it very well that the needs of her children are well provided. She manages well the affairs of her household in spite of being a fulltime career worker. Her children do excel in their academic work and they are active in church ministries. She knows well her accountability not only to her household, to her local church but also to her neighbor and to the lost. Although her work and family demands so much time from her, she still tries her best to be obedient to her calling as Christ's disciple. She sees to it that the lost within her reach are ministered by the Word. Sister Adeline is a lovely workmanship of God's abiding grace.

Live beyond mediocrity and be a woman of excellence.

“We have to persevere to achieve excellence in serving the Lord, for the Master deserves our best.” -Anonymous-