Wow-Making Excellence: We honor God and inspire people with our very best work.

My kids love hotels. There is something about staying in a place that their father didn’t work really hard to provide for them that they really enjoy. (I’m not bitter.)
The last time we travelled with our kids, we stopped at a Holiday Inn Express for the night. It was their favorite part of the trip. They talked about the TV, even though ours at home is bigger. (Again, not bitter.) They talked about the waffles they ate for breakfast, the pool they swam in for hours, the elevator where they pressed ALL of the buttons.
It wowed them, but it did not “wow” me. The person behind the counter had apparently had enough smiling for the day and greeted us with a friendly “yeah” when we approached the counter. The room was just a room. The faux-wood veneer on the side of the obligatory and unused desk was peeling a little. The pool gate had a friendly sign on it greeting you with the information that they aren’t legally responsible for the bodily harm you could potentially cause yourself.
It was just a hotel.
Shortly after this, however, we had the opportunity to stay at a Disney resort for an evening. This time, I was just as wowed as my children. I remember being wowed by the kindness of the staff, the thoughtfully planned activities for our kids, the consistent theming in the pool area, and the carefully crafted details we saw from the animation parking lot signs to the Little Mermaid-themed shower hook on the back of our bathroom door. What wowed me was that, at every step of the way, you could tell that they were presenting their very best work.

Wow-making excellence is a choice we should make because it matters.

That’s wow-making excellence – your very best work! 

• Wow-making excellence doesn’t settle for mediocrity.
• Wow-Making excellence doesn’t say “It’s fine.”
• Wow-making excellence makes the effort, eyes the details, and follows through.
• Wow-making excellence is something we are all capable of because it’s a choice — a choice to give the very best of what we have.

Aristotle said, “Excellence is never an accident. It is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, and intelligent execution.” 
And wow-making excellence is a choice we should make because it matters.
Wow-making excellence matters because its always OUR next step toward Christ. Paul wrote in Colossians 3:23-24, Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.
Paul is writing this incredible truth to slaves. In the ancient world, the most insignificant work was done by the most insignificant people — slaves. And Paul is telling them that in Christ, neither they nor their work are insignificant any longer, because now they don’t do complete any task for an earthly master but for a heavenly King!
And so in Christ, God has imbued our work with the highest meaning. Whatever we do is not mainly in service of our family, friends, coworkers, or boss. Everything we do is now mainly in service of the Lord Christ — our God, whose name is excellent in all of the earth (Psalm 8), deserves nothing but excellence in our service to Him!

So that project at work deserves our very best work because the Lord Christ deserves our very best work.

That task at home deserves our very best work because the Lord Christ deserves our very best work.

Our service at church deserves our very best work because the Lord Christ deserves our very best work.

Wow-making excellence is OUR next step toward Christ because He deserves our very best work.

And wow-making excellence matters because its one way we help others take THEIR next step toward Christ.
Jesus makes it clear that He uses our work to bring people to himself. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven (Matthew 5:16). In a very real way, our work serves as a stage to display God to others.
So when we think about our work, we need to ask ourselves, “Is my work a good stage on which to display Jesus to others?”

Is your effort at work a good stage to display Jesus to others?

Is the way you serve your family a good stage to display Jesus to your kids?

Is your service with Team Grace a good stage to display Jesus to others?

Another way to look at this is Paul’s exhortation in Colossians 3:17 that whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus…
In other words, in whatever you do, put the name of Jesus on it.

Would you put Jesus’ name on your parenting this week?

Would you put Jesus’ name on your job performance this week?

Would you put Jesus’ name on all of your work this week?

Wow-making excellence is a choice we can all make. Thomas J Watson, the chairman and CEO of IBM, said, “If you want to achieve excellence, you can get there today. As of this second, quit doing less-than-excellent work.”
With God’s help, let’s make that choice for the honor of God and the inspiration of people.