I had a chance to visit The Magic Kingdom at Disney World and it was truly an amazing experience. Every greeting from a Disney team member, every show performed and every service given was nothing short of excellent. You can tell that hours of preparation coupled with a genuine love for entertaining guests work together to create an experience that will live in the hearts of the visitors for a lifetime. In short, everyone involved strives to give their best effort and nothing less.

However, in everyday life, when  it comes to giving our best, we often fall short. Too many times we fall into the “that’s good enough” trap and end up accepting an average, mediocre life experience. This is NOT how we were created to live! God is excellent in all that He does and He expects the same from every believer. A great example of excellence is Daniel (see the book of Daniel chapter 6). We see that Daniel stood out among his peers and was rewarded with Favor and Promotion that ultimately came from God because he had an “excellent spirit.”

This is exactly what it takes to make our lives meaningful, purposeful and above average – an excellent spirit!

I define having an “excellent spirit” in the following ways:

1. Showing up on time

2. Doing more than what the job description says you should do.

3. Finishing what you start

4. Putting the customer ahead of your paycheck.

5. Giving your best effort every day.

6. Learning new ways of becoming better at what you do.

7. Doing all that you do for the Glory of God.

8. Fully Trusting God

Just as those who are a part of the Disney Kingdom strive to impact the lives of thousands each and every day by operating in a spirit of excellence, so should God’s people. Excellence originates with God and is not expected to stop when it comes to us. It is our job to operate in excellence every day, thereby collectively impacting the lives of millions and daily expanding God’s Kingdom. There is no reason why Disney Kingdom workers should outshine God’s Kingdom workers when it comes to creating meaningful, long lasting life experiences for everyone we come in contact with, but this can only happen when we choose to operate in a Spirit of Excellence.

If you are not giving your best in all that you do, Why Not? By the way, God and all of creation are waiting for your answer. Remember, Excellence is NOT Optional!

Pastor Corey