Michelangelo said, “The greatest danger for most of us is not the fact that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it.” Michelangelo didn’t aim low. His aim reached as high as the Sistine Chapel’s ceiling.
Michelangelo was a talented superstar. His genius enabled him to attain heights most of us will never reach. But still, most of us have a lot going for us. Have you ever really met a truly single-talented person? God’s abundant blessing is too limited for that. Most people are either multi-talented or maxi-talented. Most of us possess more talent than we realize—and dare we say, most of us do not use all the talent we’ve been given.
But Michelangelo’s point is not really about talent. He’s suggesting that most of us are too risk-averse, too limited in our vision, too willing to accept a small view of God, too insecure in our sense of what God has given us, or maybe just too lazy to reach high enough to test the talents we’ve been given. If this is true, then most people really don’t attain the level of achievement and fulfillment God intended for them.
God commands that we work for Him, not just for employers or ourselves. He wants our work to be vigorous, reliable, and characterized by excellence. Anything less is dishonorable to the God who made us, the God who "worked" in creating the universe, who called His work "very good."
Excellence is, therefore, not an option, because excellence in what we do is one way we tell the world who God is. Excellence is a singular expression of biblical Christianity. Excellence in our relationships and excellence in our work are spiritual acts of worship before God. Excellence is the Christian way of doing things.
Doing all things excellently is no guarantee that you will achieve greatness in the annals of history. It is a guarantee that you will please God, serve him and others well, and bring blessings upon your life.
© Rex M. Rogers – All Rights Reserved, 2011
*This blog may be reproduced in whole or in part with a full attribution statement. Contact Rex or read more commentary on current issues and events at www.rexmrogers.com or follow him at www.twitter.com/RexMRogers.