Why Be Good When You Can Be Excellent?
Christian, being good at stuff is table stakes. Why settle for good when you can be best?
Have you ever seen the Blue Angels perform? They practice relentlessly, not so they can be good, but so they can be excellent.
I read a post on X recently that bothered me. It shouldn’t, but even without the writer's context, it still seems weak.
“Christian, you don’t have to be good at stuff. You don’t need to change the world, be the best, build a platform, win the prize, prove your worth, catch your dreams, or live a life that’s remembered.”
I have to push back on that (big surprise, eh?), so I wrote:
Christian, you’re called to be good at stuff. You’re called to excellence.
You’re called to pursue that which is true, good, and beautiful.
Build things. Strive to be the best at whatever you do.
No, you don’t need to prove your worth. Neither are you to settle for what’s available and accept mediocrity.
But why not work in partnership with God to renew and redeem what is before you? Why not build a platform? Why not chase dreams?
You don’t have to do any of these things.
Thanks to God’s amazing gift of grace, you get to. You’ve been given everything you need to live a godly life. Live a life worth living.
We’re called to partnership with God, using the gifts he’s given us. Being a creative professional, entrepreneur, or business owner isn’t about proving anything to GOd. Our worth isn’t on the line. But our calling is real, and it matters.
We are called to create because we are children of the Creator. That changes how we live. It’s not about chasing headlines or building platforms for their own sake. It’s about understanding that the work we do — the businesses we build, the art we make, the problems we solve — can be a response to God’s prompting in our lives.
“As Christian entrepreneurs, we should be asking God to show off so much. We should ask him for big things so he can blow our expectations out of the water and get the glory from us and those around us.”
Jordan Raynor, “Called to Create: A Biblical Invitation to Create, Innovate, and Risk”
Let’s reframe how you think about your call to excellence. Your work can be a joyful act of worship; the marketplace can be an opportunity to honor Jesus through what you do, how you serve others, and how you steward your gifts, skills, and talents.
Whether you’re building a business, leading a team, creating something new, or solving problems, it’s all part of your faith in action. 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 says:
“So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do. Then the name of our Lord Jesus will be honored because of the way you live, and you will be honored along with him. This is all made possible because of the grace of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ.”
Because you’re enabled and empowered to accomplish all the good things, Jesus is honored.
On one hand, then, the statement is true: You don’t need to change the world, be the best, build a platform, win the prize, catch your dreams, or live a life that’s remembered.
But why wouldn’t you try? Our generous God gave you gifts, talent, and resources. You have everything you need.
“We need more Christians who want to be good at stuff.”
Don’t settle for mediocrity. Don’t accept what’s just available. Build something worth building. Create something that reflects who God is. Work with excellence. Your work is valuable and significant.
That’s not pride. It’s worship. It’s faithfulness.
Don’t hesitate to live a life that’s remembered, not for your sake, but because your work, your integrity, and your faith make a significant difference in people’s lives and bring glory to God. Live so God can point to you in the future as an example of the “Incredible wealth of his grace and kindess” toward you.
That’s the invitation and the calling. That’s what it looks like to follow Christ in the marketplace.