Preserved by Purpose: Elevate with Excellence

Recently, I was honored to be at the guest speaker at the New Mt. Rose Missionary Baptist
Church’s Red Hat Tea. Special thanks to Pastor Rev. Kyev Tatum and First Lady Tonya Tatum for
the opportunity. I’d like to share part of that message in this week’s column. The tea’s theme was
‘Elevate with Excellence,’ and the scripture reference was Colossians 3:23:24:

“And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men,  knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.”

As I studied the theme, I started to think about how elevation happens and how to define excellence. We have to do three things to elevate with excellence:

1. We have to walk in excellence before you get elevated.
2. Next, we have to move in the direction that God has for us.
3. Then, we have to follow a Kingdom vision and follow an internal compass of Christ-centered
   integrity.

Elevation is a phrase that we as Christians are familiar with. In fact, we often pray things like, Lord take me to next level. But the question remains: What are we doing at the level that we are currently at?

Elevation occurs after years of being excellent. You don’t become excellent immediately after the promotion. You walk in excellence before it happens. This means that you start getting to
work on time or even early. It means you change your attitude before you start working in
ministry, no longer using the excuse that you will “Get right once God blesses you.” In other
words, you have to be it so you can see it and then you become it.

In looking at elevating with excellence, I also looked at the word “with” and found one definition that says it means to move in the same direction. How does this connect with elevation and excellence? We have to go back to Colossians 3:23:

“And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men.”

Curious, I next looked up the definition of the word “heartily” and found both Greek and Hebrew etymological origins of the word that point back to the original psuché or psyche.

Other definitions of these words also mean to breathe or blow. This correlates in the sense that the soul is the direct aftermath of God breathing His gift of life into a person. God breathes on us and, hopefully, we will move following His direction. Proverbs 16:3 says

“Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.”

As with wind, you go further when you go in the direction that God is leading as opposed to against his plans and purpose. Excellence goes beyond being nice, looking nice or working hard.

Being excellent means that we are intentionally persistent. Romans 12:2 says:

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

The big difference for Christians is that we persistently follow a Kingdom vision with a Christ-centered identity and focus. Compromise hinders excellence.

Like producer and actress Issa Rae said:

“Black women ain’t bitter. They are just tired of being expected to settle for less.”

When we elevate with excellence, we are saying that we choose not to settle or compromise for less than what God has promised.

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Shewanda Riley is a Dallas, Texas based author of “Love Hangover: Moving From Pain to
Purpose After a Relationship Ends” and “Writing to the Beat of God’s Heart: A Book of Prayers
for Writers.” Email her at preservedbypurpose@gmail.com, follow her on Instagram at
shewandawrites or you can listen to her podcast The Chocolate Auntie Podcast on the Alive
Podcasting Network.