An Excellent Spirit

An Excellent Spirit

The book of Daniel has long been one of my favorites. It is a story of a young man who overcomes great challenges through unyielding devotion to the Lord. He is one of many who are taken captive to a foreign land by an invading army. There, he is faced with constant opposition to his faith, yet he remains true to his beliefs and eventually becomes a very influential leader among his captors. It is an inspiring story of how powerful an impact one can make through dedicated service to God, regardless of their surroundings.

One of the things that distinguished Daniel from the rest was his spirit of excellence. Although he was a captive from another country, he was promoted to one of the highest offices in government. Over and over, his enemies tried to bring him down, but his excellent spirit caused him to keep rising above. He earned a reputation for being faithful, faultless, and exceedingly wise.

A spirit of excellence gets people's attention. It opens doors of opportunity and closes mouths of critics. It builds respect and breaks down barriers. It creates confidence for some and confusion for others. We don't always know what to call it, but we lean in when we see it. An excellent spirit is highly valuable and incredibly rare.

God is the purest definition of excellence. He is above all, and without equal, yet he expresses his excellence graciously and honorably. The nature of his excellence is to benefit others, rather than to trample and dominate them. The spirit of excellence is the spirit of Christ. 

That's what Empower NBCA School of Ministry is all about. Developing a spirit of excellence through devotion and service to Christ. We are called to carry the excellence of Christ upon us.