A Spirit of Excellence

“And David shepherded them with the integrity of heart; with skillful hands, he led them.” Psalms 78:72 

The Bible said David played his harp “skillfully.” He wasn’t a giant slayer at first. He wasn’t some famous king. He was just a musician who was excellent at what he did. But notice the Bible didn’t just say he played a musical instrument. He played it skillfully. And because he played skillfully, he began to stand out as a great musician. The king heard about how gifted he was in music and brought him into the palace because he had a spirit of excellence. It took him many hours of practice to become skillful in that musical instrument. David was eventually put on the throne because of his spirit of excellence.

Excellence doesn’t start when you get big things. It starts when you only have a little and become excellent with it. Little things matter. If we’re going to attract the world's attention, we must go above and beyond what is asked of us. Always strive to be your very best. If you’re in business, work with wisdom and character. If you’re in education, teach with charisma and enthusiasm. If you’re in sports, keep a good attitude no matter what happens in the game and give 110 percent in practice. 

Another example of excellence can be seen in Daniel's life. The Bible said he had an “excellent spirit.” He had an excellent attitude. He was a man of discipline, and because of his high standards, he refused to eat the king’s meat. But what is so impressive about Daniel is when he and the other men wouldn’t eat or drink what the king offered, the Bible said their countenances were fairer, they were sharper, and ten times wiser than the king’s men. Pharaoh was drawn to them first naturally because they were sharp. They were the head of the class. Their excellence landed them in high positions in a hedonistic nation.

Joseph also had a spirit of excellence. The Bible said God was with him. He prospered in every situation. They put him in jail, and he became the head of the jail. They put him in Potiphar’s house as a slave, and Potiphar placed him over everything in his household. He constantly went above and beyond in every challenging situation. Leaders wanted him by their side because everything he did succeeded. 

Some of you may say, “If somebody would just give me a break…” But if you can’t be great where you are, you won’t be great anywhere else. You have to do everything with excellence right where you are. This principle works every time. Be your personal best, and that attitude will cause God’s hand of promotion to come upon you. If Joseph had not served well in the prison, he would have never been promoted to the palace.

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