My definition of excellence is ‘to do your personal best’. Excellence can be an illusive endeavour. What is excellent for one person is not excellent for another.
A few years back I did my personal best on the Grouse Grind in Vancouver. The Grouse Grind is a 2.9-kilometre trail up the face of Grouse Mountain, commonly referred to as “Mother Nature’s Stairmaster.” My personal best is 54:15 minutes.
Every year there are races up the Grouse Grind and in 2009 a new course record was set of 25:24 minutes by 22-year-old, Sebastian Salas. So Sebastian’s personal best makes my personal best seem sluggish. But he is 22 years old and I am in my 50’s. I am still proud of my personal best.
Excellence is relative to the situation. My goal in leading worship is to be excellent. That includes picking great songs, memorizing my music, worshipping God with my whole heart and training my team to do the same.
You will only be as excellent as your own personal limitations, the amount of work and passion you put into it and the excellence level of your whole team. That includes the sound man, media, lighting, singers and players. Then there is the ‘X-Factor’, the anointing and Presence of God.
If God shows up in a personal and powerful way then human excellence seems dim in relation.
If God shows up in a personal and powerful way then human excellence seems dim in relation.
I believe God wants all those factors to be in play. God wants us to bring our best offering. I want to be like David who said that he didn’t want to bring an offering that ‘cost him nothing’. I want to bring God my personal best.
For me, my best is spending time with God daily. Memorizing the music that I lead. Teaching my musicians in great rehearsals to worship the Lord with their whole heart. Being passionate as I lead. Keeping my heart and mind focused on God. And leading the congregation to do the same.
When I lead, I want to excellent.
So let’s not get tired of doing what is good.
At just the right time we will reap a harvest
of blessing if we don’t give up.
~ Galatians 6:9 NLT
Question: Are you working on bringing your personal best? Are you still willing to bring an offering in worship that costs you something?
Check out my new book.. “Leading Worship ~ Notes from a Grand Adventure’ available in Kindle or Soft Cover Editions. This is a great gift for the musician or worshipper in your life.
