Excellence in Christianity –lessons from David’s life Introduction Do you see someone skilled in their work?

They will serve before kings; they will not serve before officials of low rank

Proverbs 22:29

One who is slack in his work is brother to one who destroys

Proverbs 18:9

What is excellence in Christianity supposed to mean? A friend of mine once asked whether our effort

matters since we have been declared the ‘heads’ and not the ‘tails’. Is it a contradiction to claim faith

in God and still go ahead working hard at something as if relying on human strength? Have we not

been instructed in the book of Zechariah that ‘it is neither by power, nor by might but by God’s Spirit?’

What then is all this talk about excelling in what we do? The email that I received inviting me to come

and share on this topic had instructions that the following issues should be addressed:

That God requires us to do “Everything our hands find to do, with all our might"- Ecclesiastes

9:10

What God expects us to do with the gifts and talents He has accorded us?

How to be examples to the rest of the world by our speech, life, faith, love and purity.-1st

Timothy 4:12.

I am not sure I’ll be faithful in addressing the issues as stated. However I will take us through a few

insight on what the bible has to say about excellence and draw a few lessons from the life of David –

the King of Israel. I begin by pointing out that excellence is a trait worth having and that God desires

that we be excellent in what we do. Personally I learnt how much I lacked excellence in the one year

that I spent in ministry after completing campus. In this period I also realized how much God needed

me to be excellent in how I executed my tasks –beginning with whether I kept time. I believe that

excellence as a Christian begins when we realize our primary assignment and become faithful to it.

David’s anointing He chose David his servant

and took him from the sheep pens; from tending the sheep he brought him

to be the shepherd of his people Jacob,

of Israel his inheritance.

And David shepherded them with integrity of heart;

with skilful hands he led them

Psalms 78:70 -72

The state of David’s heart –devotion to God –was matched by that of his hands –skill in his leadership.

David did not assume that the anointing he had received was sufficient qualification to enable him do

everything. Instead, the anointing he had was a basis for him handle God’s business with the

appropriate expertise. Since he was God’s chosen, the standards were those set by God. I therefore do

not subscribe to mediocrity camouflaged as faith. We are to apply excellence in our duties since we

serve God. Our anointing does not excuse us from optimum performance but a mandate for it.

Our anointing does not excuse us from optimum performance but a mandate for it

David was aware of his primary assignment Jesse’s three oldest sons had followed Saul to the war: The firstborn was Eliab; the second, Abinadab;

and the third, Shammah. David was the youngest. The three oldest followed Saul, but David went back

and forth from Saul to tend his father’s sheep at Bethlehem

1 Samuel 16:13-15

David knew his primary assignment: he was a shepherd! His elder brothers went to war with Saul, he

stayed at home and took care of the sheep. David did not look down upon his assignment the way his

elder brother, Eliab, did (I Samuel 16: 28). To Eliab, they were just a few sheep out there in the

wilderness but to David, those sheep were his life. How many of us, if we were shepherds, would put

our lives on the line to rescue one sheep that has been snatched by a lion? (Now that there are no bear

in Africa, let’s talk of hyenas instead) Wouldn’t it make sense for you to sacrifice that one sheep and

save your life? After all once the predator is satisfied it won’t come for another one –or you for that

matter.

How many of us, if we were shepherds, would put our lives on the line to rescue

one sheep that has been snatched by a lion?

David was not casual about his primary assignment, no wonder he still went back home to take care

of the sheep even when he had already been appointed as the King’s musician. He only moved to stay

with Saul as a permanent employee once Saul was clearly not letting him go back to tend sheep (2

Samuel 18:2).

David was accountable for his primary assignment Early in the morning David left the flock in the care of a shepherd, loaded up and set out, as Jesse had

directed. He reached the camp as the army was going out to its battle positions, shouting the war cry

1 Samuel 16:22

When David’s father sent him to the battle field to check on his brothers, David made sure he had left

the sheep under someone’s care. He did not just run off without caring.

David’s was acknowledged at his primary assignment One of the servants answered, “I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the

lyre. He is a brave man and a warrior. He speaks well and is a fine-looking man. And the Lord is with

him

1 Samuel 16:18

David was an excellent shepherd. Unlike Goliath who was trained in war throughout his life, David’s

experience in war was gotten through his encounters with wild animals while taking care of sheep.

Excellence is not about which role you have at the moment but rather your commitment at whatever

place you are at. David’s excellence was noted while he was tending sheep, not when he enters the

King’s service. Do you present engagements have a testimony of how excellent you are.

Conclusion We are now aware of David’s anointing, his awareness of his primary assignment; his accountability to

this primary assignment and the fact that his excellence was acknowledged while he was tending

sheep. What does all this mean to us, especially when we are living below God’s expectation? I

remember once when I sat for six papers and failed in four of them. At that time, I blamed the devil.

Looking back I realize that I failed simply because I had not worked hard enough to pass. I at long last

re-sat the papers and passed. I have come to learn that our God is forgiving and able to give second

chances. We learn from our mistakes, however the lessons taught by failure are the same learnt

through success.

We learn from our mistakes, however the lessons taught by failure are the same

learnt through success.