Slideshow image

We all work. In our own minds, we want our work to be excellent. Then it happens: we get our first compliment. Do we relish in it and seek more and more compliments? What is our motivation to do that - is it the drive to be excellent for excellence sake, to please fellow people and gain their praise, or as a sacrifice to God?

In this short video, my Greek professor, Dr. Plummer, tackles many angles associated with this simple, but important, question. When does our drive to excel drive past our Christian service and veer into self-service.

"True humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less." 

If you have ever pondered this quetion, then ... congratulations! You have been prompted to check your heart - and that is a great thing! I remember a certain commencement speech by the valedictorian when I finished my undergraduate studies in 1990. The theme of his speech was a call to not be overwhelmed with the pursuit of excellence at the cost of humbly walking with Christ. 

That was an amazing thing to say at a graduation ceremony! When 99.9% of all speakers across America were encouraging students to reach for the stars and pursue a career marked by excellence, this speaker called the students back to humility. 

But when he was strong, he grew proud, to his destruction. For he was unfaithful to the Lord his God and entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense. 2 Chronicles 26:16

God calls us to love him and follow him as a matter of first priority. That is the great commandment. (Matthew 22:37) The problematic venue for followers of Christ, when we consider excellence and pride, is the next commandment - love your neighbor as yourself. (Matthew 22:39)

We want to love our neighbors, so we seek to do that with excellence. When we pursue excellence in loving our neighbor, does that become blended with loving the praise from our neighbor? Does it get confused with the purchases our neighbor makes from our excellent business? Does it get blended with the loyalty our neighbor feels toward us?

The key is to keep the great commandment as the great commandment. If you love God first, then the servant-love of neighbor - with excellence - is a byproduct (a fruit) of loving God. 

The video of Dr. Plummer's insight into this topic is linked below.