Galatians 6:4-5
4 But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. 5 For each one shall bear his own load.
Quickword: Excellece Without Excuses
A number of years ago, I had a leader whose mantra was ”Excellence without Excuses”. Initially while assigned under this leader, I mistakenly believe he was striving for perfection which is not humanly possible. Over time I discovered that this leader simply wanted persons and teams in my organization to do thier very best and to be accountable for their actions, good and bad. This week as I watched the news unfold primarily regarding our National leadership and in the sport’s world, I believe they could learn a lesson from my former leader” Excellence without Excuses!
This text in Galatians teaches us that we should:
- Examine our own work and behavior
- If we find our work and behavior to be acceptable and pleasing to God, let us rejoice
- All of us must bear our own load, for we all sin and fall short of the glory of God.
Verse 5 of this text in the Amplified Bibk reads: “For every person will have to bear [with patience] his own burden [of faults and shortcomings for which he alone is responsible].” I’m not calling us to be perfect today but I believe that Excellence without Excuses calls for us to take personal responsibility. Here are just a few words, phrases or actions that I try to incorporate in my daily life.
- I’m sorry, that was my mistake
- Let me make sure I heard your point of view
- You are right
- I don’t agree with you on this matter but I’m sure we can find some mutual understanding
- How can we make this better
This may seem to be simple for some but I promise you, understanding human frailties starting with oneself can eliminate a lot of misunderstandings, arguments snd divisions. Try it at home, work, and even at church and watch how excuses go down and excellence expands. Here me clearly, we are all a work in progress but I’d rather take personal accountability for my actions and response even when wronged. We have the example of Jesus who was without sin, yet He bore our sins on a hill call Calvary so that we might have life and life more abundantly.
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