Striving for Spiritual Excellence

Devotional—The Struggle of Sanctification—Sonya Johnson

Striving for Excellence

O Lord, our Lord, How excellent is Your name in all the earth, Who have set Your glory above the heavens! (Psalm 8:1)

In the past two decades, most are aware there has been a significant decline in love, moral responsibility, and values. Still, the greatest decline is in striving for excellence. Do you remember when companies proudly stressed that the customer was their most valued commodity? Now, the customer service script begins with “I understand your frustration,” or an automated voice with many prompts makes it nearly impossible to speak to a human being to resolve the issue.

Excellence is not perfection. Perfection [in humanity] does not exist, which explains why it is impossible to achieve. What is excellence? Striving for continuous improvement. Yes, excellence is a tough master, but it motivates us to push ourselves to do our best.

What does God expect from us in serving Him?

“I pray that your love will overflow more and more and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return.” Philippians 1:9-10 NLT

In the NKJV, verse 10 reads, “that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ…(Philippians 1:10).

Our perception of God determines our desire to strive for excellence. “Be holy, for I am Holy” (1 Peter 1:16). Our minds must not shift and focus on the impossibilities of holiness. Know that God has not left us alone to reach the high standards that He requires of us. First, we must have a strong desire to be transformed into the likeness of Christ—Sanctification.

The human effort of surrendering our hearts to Jesus Christ invites the power of the Holy Spirit to intervene, allowing us to achieve above and beyond our natural abilities. Studying the Scriptures gives us knowledge. Maintaining a steadfast relationship with God through continuous prayer imparts the gift of wisdom. Faith and obedience invite the Divine Intervention of the Holy Spirit to give us supernatural strength to achieve excellence in all areas of our lives.

When the faithful strive for humility, obedience, and purity along with praying for guidance, we possess wisdom and discernment of spiritual excellence. It is then that our posture is in alignment with God’s will and our Spiritual Team empowers us to reach His standards of excellence.

Prayer: God, we pray for the anointing of the Holy Spirit. We desire to grow in knowledge, wisdom, and holiness. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Author: steps2successwithspiritualsolutions

I am a Woman of God who desires to provide spiritual guidance to those in mental, emotional, and spiritual distress. Many of us have experienced a devastating life event within the past three years. If so, then we share something in common. My life restarted in 2020. And my healing journey lasted for 16 months. It takes courage, perseverance, faith, and trust in God to restructure and build a new life. Yet, in Isaiah 43, verses 1-3, God promises us that we will never be alone. We can have the assurance that God is with us in every stormy hardship. Pray daily and pray often. Study the Bible. The Scriptures are a Love Letter from God to those who accept Jesus as their personal Savior. You will receive comfort, knowledge, and wisdom. God says, "I have loved you with an everlasting love." Jeremiah 31:3. Be blessed in Jesus' name. Amen. By profession, I am a Registered Nurse, with a passion for helping others overcome the obstacles in their lives. I am a writer of Devotionals, Romantic Poetry, and Research Articles. The recent development of Mentoring and launching as a Motivational Speaker has prompted me to address real-life issues for women from a spiritual perspective. View all posts by steps2successwithspiritualsolutions