With All Thy Might
Today’s Verse:
Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest. ~Ecclesiastes 9:10
The name Stradivarius is synonymous with fine violins. This is true because Antonius Stradivarius insisted that no instrument constructed in his shop be sold until it was as near perfection as human care and skill could make it. Stradivarius observed, "God needs violins to send His music into the world, and if any violins are defective, God's music will be spoiled." His work philosophy was summed up in one sentence: "Other men will make other violins, but no man shall make a better one."
Solomon made a statement that underscores the importance of excellence. Excellence is much more than greatness. It is the production of the absolute best there is. It is giving the best of what you have to give. It is doing the best with what you have. It is not being content with mediocrity or being run-of-the-mill. It is the desire of making a difference with your life and your life’s product. Let us consider how excellence is achieved.
We must commit to an endeavor.
“Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do....” Striving for excellence begins with the consideration of the endeavor. We should choose the endeavors in life that are profitable. We should endeavor to commit to excellence in our marriages. In verse 8, Solomon encourages us to live joyfully with the wife of our youth. We should endeavor to commit to excellence in our morals and standards. “Let thy garments be always white.” The apex of godly morals and standards is holiness. We should commit to excellence in our spirit. “Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart.” Whatever you commit to, decide to fulfill it with excellence.
We must commit to effort.
“Do it with thy might.” Excellence is never achieved unless there is extreme effort. This means starting and ending well. This means staying with the endeavor in the early morning hours when others would go to sleep. This means finding a solution no matter how many times we fail. This means the desire to turn out a product that is far superior to whatever had been done before. It is like running a race in the Olympics and deciding that you are running to win for your country and to achieve a world record. We must commit to effort in order to achieve excellence.
We must commit to endurance.
Excellence demands tenacity and great endurance. Paul told Timothy, “Endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.” We will get tired and weary. We will have people who will misunderstand and criticize us. We will have moments where we might overlook something. We might lose followers. We might have setbacks that we could not plan for. Whatever it may be, endurance means I will not quit. It means I will go farther than anyone else has ever done. It means being tough when the going becomes tough. We must commit to endurance.
Solomon exhorts us to a life of excellence. Booker T. Washington defined excellence as “doing a common thing is an uncommon way.” Give it your all in whatever you do. Do not live a life where you look back and say, “I could have done more" or, "I could have done better.” Do it with all thy might!
Have an excellence-driven God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: Deuteronomy 24-27