Excel Still More

I am writing this blog on January 3rd, the start of a new year.  And with every new year comes the desire to eat better, exercise, and do all the things that do not come easy or naturally, but actually take a great deal of time, energy, and thought.  The same is true about making sure Christian schools across the nation and globe are truly excellent.  So much more goes into being a school of excellence than collecting money for something new, or recruiting players for a winning team, or great test scores, chapels, and service projects.  How can we be assured that excellence is accomplished in our Christian schools?

I believe a key ingredient to this question can be found in I Thessalonians 4:10, where Paul encouraged the people to “excel still more”.  What was Paul wanting them to excel still more at? He wanted them to love others.  That sounds too simple and at times, soft on the surface.  However, when we get the love of God down right, it will influence every other aspect of our lives and schools.  

• “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37).  When Christ is the preeminent one in our hearts and minds, we will not allow anything else to get in the way of assuring He gets the glory in all that we do in our schools.  He must increase and we must decrease. The love of God and for God will drive us to learn and accomplish things solely for His glory.
• “If God loved us, we also ought to love one another” (I John 4:11). “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). God’s love for us and our love for Him will transform our wants and desires and lead us to love others.  This will allow us to accomplish His will in everything we do in our Christian schools.
• “In the future there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness…to all who have loved (or longed) for His appearing” (2 Timothy 4:8).  Maintaining the proper perspective on eternity will lead us to live with pure excellence as we long to spend forever with Him.  

My prayer is that as we start a new year, that we will continue to “excel still more” in our efforts to love God, love others, and live in a way that points others to Christ.  When that happens, we can say with confidence, and a pure heart, that we are doing everything with excellence.