01 May Excellence at work – May 15

By Diana Turnip

Several years ago, the church published a magazine devoted to be salt and light for Sydney community. When I gave a copy of the magazine to an acquaintance, he looked at it and said, “This doesn’t even look like a Christian magazine.” What was this man saying? He was saying that products many Christians produce tend to be less than the world’s quality. It was a criticism on the work ethic of a group of people – Christians.

If I were to ask you to describe the core attributes of a person who exemplifies God’s ideal for the Spirit-led worker, what might you say? One of the core ways we can impact the workplace for Christ is by doing our work with excellence. A follower of Jesus should be a worker that exemplifies excellence in how they perform their work.

As an example in the Old Testament, Bezalel (in Exodus 31: 1-5) was a man hand-picked by God to perform an important work – to design and build the Ark of the Covenant. In fact, Bezalel was the first man in the Old Testament described as being filled with the Spirit of God.

…and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship, … (Exodus 31:3)

Daniel 6:1-3 highlights how Daniel becomes a Model Worker. He was an administrator over 120 satraps in the Persian government of King Darius. Daniel was the model civic worker. He did his job well and that is why he was respected by his boss and became the source of jealousy by the other workers.

Moreover, I can only imagine the type of carpentry that Jesus produced in his carpentry shop and what people in Nazareth saying how Jesus made exceptional tables and craftsmanship and would last a lifetime. I cannot conceive that Jesus would produce anything less.

One of the easiest ways to discredit Christ in the workplace is for us to do our work with less than excellence. In order to gain the right kind of attention and reputation, our work should stand apart because we do our work unto the Lord.

“And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Colossians 3:17).

Doing quality work will not be the primary means of winning others to Christ, but it can disqualify us very quickly from ever having the opportunity to present Christ in a positive light. Therefore, go the extra mile when necessary. Make the effort to serve those around you. So, when you do your work, do it with excellence, and make a difference.