Being Excellent in the Workplace

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This is 0:01:27.800 --> 0:01:29.360 not an offer to buy your self securities, nor is 0:01:29.360 --> 0:01:30.760 it investment, legal or tax advice. 0:01:31.240 --> 0:01:33.959 Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. Thanks for listening to 0:01:34.000 --> 0:01:37.160 our podcast and thanks for supporting the ministry. If you 0:01:37.240 --> 0:01:39.840 enjoy today's message, why don't you be a blessing and 0:01:39.880 --> 0:01:42.559 share it with a friend. We appreciate you and pray 0:01:42.600 --> 0:01:56.800 for God's very best in your life. Well, God bless 0:01:56.840 --> 0:02:00.520 you always a joy to come into your homes and 0:02:00.640 --> 0:02:03.400 just to appreciate being able to spend this next little 0:02:03.400 --> 0:02:05.600 while with you. And if you're ever in our area, 0:02:05.680 --> 0:02:07.360 I hope you'll stop by and be a part of 0:02:07.400 --> 0:02:09.960 one of our services. I promise you we'll make you 0:02:10.000 --> 0:02:12.680 feel right at home. But thanks for watching, and thanks 0:02:12.720 --> 0:02:14.960 again for coming out. And I like to start with 0:02:15.000 --> 0:02:17.480 something funny each week. And I heard about this mother 0:02:17.639 --> 0:02:21.000 that invited some people over for dinner. And at the table, 0:02:21.160 --> 0:02:23.560 she said to her little five year old daughter, Honey, 0:02:23.639 --> 0:02:26.200 do you want to say the blessing? She said, no, Mom, 0:02:26.280 --> 0:02:28.600 I wouldn't know what to say. She said, oh, sure 0:02:28.639 --> 0:02:31.160 you would, honey. Just say what you hear mom saying. 0:02:31.639 --> 0:02:33.959 So she bows her head and said, oh Lord, why 0:02:33.960 --> 0:02:38.959 did I invite these people to dinner? All right, hold 0:02:39.040 --> 0:02:41.680 up your Bible. Say it like you mean it. This 0:02:41.800 --> 0:02:44.359 is my Bible. I am what it says. I am. 0:02:44.919 --> 0:02:47.320 I have what it says I have. I can do 0:02:47.400 --> 0:02:49.880 what it says I can do. Today I will be 0:02:49.960 --> 0:02:53.799 taught the word of God. I boldly confess. My mind 0:02:53.880 --> 0:02:57.080 is alert, my heart is receptive. I will never be 0:02:57.160 --> 0:03:01.480 the same. In Jesus' name, God bless that's you. I 0:03:01.560 --> 0:03:04.520 want to talk to you today about being excellent in 0:03:04.600 --> 0:03:08.800 the workplace. Unemployment is at one of the highest levels 0:03:08.840 --> 0:03:11.799 that it's been in many years. Every day we read 0:03:11.800 --> 0:03:16.239 about more businesses closing and more potential for layoffs, and 0:03:16.280 --> 0:03:19.120 if we're going to keep our positions or at least 0:03:19.160 --> 0:03:22.400 see new opportunity open up if something were to close down. 0:03:23.160 --> 0:03:26.720 Now more than ever, we need to be people of excellence. 0:03:27.600 --> 0:03:31.000 We live in a society where mediocrity is the norm. 0:03:31.840 --> 0:03:34.440 Many people do as little as they can to get by. 0:03:35.040 --> 0:03:37.880 They're always looking for the easy way out. If the 0:03:37.880 --> 0:03:41.680 boss isn't watching, they're playing on the computer, they simply 0:03:41.720 --> 0:03:44.280 go to work to pick up a paycheck. Then they 0:03:44.320 --> 0:03:47.680 wonder why they're not promoted and why they don't see increase. 0:03:48.440 --> 0:03:54.320 It's because God doesn't bless mediocrity. He blesses excellence, and 0:03:54.400 --> 0:03:57.120 whatever we do, we should do it to the best 0:03:57.120 --> 0:04:00.560 of our ability. If you're a teacher, don't be an 0:04:00.600 --> 0:04:04.640 average teacher, be an excellent teacher. If you're a plumber, 0:04:04.680 --> 0:04:08.280 don't be an ok plumber, be a great plumber. If 0:04:08.280 --> 0:04:11.320 you work in sales, don't give it a half hearted effort, 0:04:11.720 --> 0:04:15.680 make a few phone calls, get discouraged. Nobody's buying business 0:04:15.760 --> 0:04:19.720 is slow. No come up with new strategies. Learn from 0:04:19.760 --> 0:04:22.680 the people that are in front of you, stay determined, 0:04:23.000 --> 0:04:27.120 stay focused. You have excellence on the inside. It was 0:04:27.160 --> 0:04:30.479 put there by the creator of the universe. And whether 0:04:30.520 --> 0:04:34.679 you're a waitress, a truck driver, an architect, a police officer, 0:04:34.760 --> 0:04:38.200 or a CEO, do it to the best of your ability. 0:04:38.360 --> 0:04:41.960 You and I should set the standard for excellence. Other 0:04:42.040 --> 0:04:45.640 people may show up late, they may complain, they may 0:04:45.640 --> 0:04:49.320 cut corners, but don't sink down to their level. Well, 0:04:49.360 --> 0:04:53.040 you say, Joel, everybody's doing it. Yes, but you're not everybody. 0:04:53.320 --> 0:04:57.080 You're a cut above. You're a call to excellence. God 0:04:57.120 --> 0:05:00.640 wants you to set the highest stander. So a company 0:05:00.720 --> 0:05:04.560 should use you as the example as the model employee. 0:05:04.760 --> 0:05:07.880 Your boss, your supervisor should be able to say to 0:05:07.920 --> 0:05:11.760 the new hires, watch that man, learn from that woman, 0:05:12.320 --> 0:05:15.880 pick up their habits. Develop your skills like they've developed 0:05:15.880 --> 0:05:18.919 their skills. They are the cream of the crop. You 0:05:18.920 --> 0:05:22.320 know what you're doing. You are honoring God. A lot 0:05:22.360 --> 0:05:24.400 of times we think, let me go to church to 0:05:24.480 --> 0:05:27.400 honor God, let me read my Bible to honor God, 0:05:27.800 --> 0:05:30.760 let me sing and clap to honor God. And yes, 0:05:30.800 --> 0:05:34.200 that's true, But do you know it honors God just 0:05:34.240 --> 0:05:37.520 as much to get to work on time. It honors 0:05:37.560 --> 0:05:40.919 God to be productive each day. It honors God to 0:05:41.000 --> 0:05:45.360 excel in your career. When you are excellent in the workplace, 0:05:45.680 --> 0:05:48.960 your whole life is given praise to God. And that's 0:05:48.960 --> 0:05:52.000 one of the best witnesses we could ever have. Just 0:05:52.080 --> 0:05:55.039 to show up each day to work on time, with 0:05:55.120 --> 0:06:00.919 a good attitude, friendly organized, being our best, stronger witness 0:06:01.160 --> 0:06:04.880 than quoting a dozen scriptures. Our life should give praise 0:06:04.920 --> 0:06:08.160 to God. In other words, we don't have to say anything, 0:06:08.839 --> 0:06:11.520 just the fact that we are people of excellence. We 0:06:11.560 --> 0:06:14.920 do the right thing, whether anybody's watching or not. We're 0:06:14.960 --> 0:06:19.760 consistently good natured, consistently improving. We do more than we 0:06:19.880 --> 0:06:23.520 have to. When you have that kind of attitude, it 0:06:23.640 --> 0:06:27.400 not only gets God's attention, it gets other people's attention. 0:06:28.320 --> 0:06:31.360 They see the depth of your character, they see your 0:06:31.400 --> 0:06:36.320 spirit of excellence. You begin to gain influence, credibility, respect, 0:06:36.800 --> 0:06:39.680 And it's great to honor God on Sundays. It's great 0:06:39.720 --> 0:06:42.839 to all come in here together to celebrate today. But 0:06:42.920 --> 0:06:45.239 what I want you to see is you can honor 0:06:45.320 --> 0:06:49.039 God just as much on Monday, on Tuesday, on Wednesday. 0:06:49.680 --> 0:06:52.400 When you go to work this week, don't you dare think, 0:06:52.480 --> 0:06:54.960 oh man, I gotta go to work again. What a bummer. No, 0:06:55.120 --> 0:06:57.599 get up with enthusiasm and say I get to go 0:06:57.680 --> 0:07:02.920 to work today to honor God. The scripture says here 0:07:02.960 --> 0:07:07.040 in Colossians three twenty three. Whatever you do, do it 0:07:07.080 --> 0:07:10.680 with all your heart, as though you're working under God 0:07:11.080 --> 0:07:14.720 and not under men. You have to realize you're not 0:07:14.960 --> 0:07:18.720 just working for people. You're not just working for that company, 0:07:19.240 --> 0:07:22.200 not even just working to get a paycheck, even though 0:07:22.200 --> 0:07:25.120 that's part of it. But the truth is you are 0:07:25.160 --> 0:07:28.800 working under God. He's the one that gave you breath 0:07:28.840 --> 0:07:31.680 to breathe today. He's the one that woke you up 0:07:31.720 --> 0:07:34.440 this morning. You may have thought it was the alarm clock, 0:07:34.640 --> 0:07:36.600 but God was the one that gave you strength to 0:07:36.600 --> 0:07:38.880 get out of bed. He's the one that's given you 0:07:38.880 --> 0:07:44.480 your talents, gifts, wisdom, creativity. You have a responsibility to 0:07:44.640 --> 0:07:47.920 use what you have to honor him. Do you know 0:07:48.320 --> 0:07:51.920 when you look good, it makes God look good. When 0:07:51.960 --> 0:07:56.040 you get promoted, God is honored when you excel and 0:07:56.120 --> 0:07:58.720 you go around telling people I got this new position. 0:07:58.760 --> 0:08:01.840 God's been so good to me. You are exalting God. 0:08:02.280 --> 0:08:05.440 You can bringing attention to Him. But when we just 0:08:05.520 --> 0:08:08.240 sit back and dread going to work, and we can't 0:08:08.280 --> 0:08:11.000 wait till five o'clock. And we're not growing, We're not 0:08:11.080 --> 0:08:14.560 applying what we know. We are not being responsible with 0:08:14.600 --> 0:08:18.239 what God's given us. He has entrusted you with his gifts. 0:08:18.720 --> 0:08:22.040 He is expecting you to be your very best. Whatever 0:08:22.120 --> 0:08:24.800 we do, we should do it with our whole heart, 0:08:25.360 --> 0:08:28.160 not halfway, not with what we can get by with. 0:08:28.640 --> 0:08:31.680 Do it to the best of your ability, even small 0:08:31.720 --> 0:08:35.679 things mowing the lawn. Do it with excellence. You are 0:08:35.720 --> 0:08:39.120 working under God. When your law looks good, you're making 0:08:39.160 --> 0:08:41.800 God look good. If you're gonna sing in the choir, 0:08:42.040 --> 0:08:45.040 don't show up every other Sunday not knowing the songs. 0:08:45.120 --> 0:08:48.199 No enthusiasm here I am. I told you i'd come. Now, 0:08:48.240 --> 0:08:52.240 show up like these guys on fire, excited, looking good, 0:08:52.400 --> 0:08:59.040 feeling good, annoying it, equipped, empowered, being their best. That's 0:08:59.040 --> 0:09:03.640 what honors God. When you understand this principle, it's easy 0:09:03.679 --> 0:09:06.480 to say, I'm not gonna be late to the office today. 0:09:06.679 --> 0:09:10.880 I'm working under God. I'm not gonna build this house shoddily, 0:09:11.520 --> 0:09:13.760 just good enough to get a paycheck. No, I'm working 0:09:13.840 --> 0:09:16.240 under God. I'm gonna do it as precise as I can. 0:09:17.080 --> 0:09:20.439 At the office. I could kick back and relax. I've 0:09:20.440 --> 0:09:23.480 done my duty for the day. Nobody would know. No, 0:09:23.559 --> 0:09:25.760 I'm not gonna waste a couple of hours. I'm working 0:09:25.840 --> 0:09:28.880 under God. I'm gonna help my coworker finish their project. 0:09:29.120 --> 0:09:32.200 I'm gonna organize these files for another colleague. I'm gonna 0:09:32.320 --> 0:09:36.160 keep giving it my best because I'm working under God. Well, 0:09:36.200 --> 0:09:38.600 you say, Joel, I'd love to do that, but you 0:09:38.640 --> 0:09:41.080 don't know my boss. He's hard to get along with. 0:09:41.679 --> 0:09:44.040 You don't know my company. They just don't treat me right. 0:09:44.320 --> 0:09:46.400 You have to get a new perspective. You are not 0:09:46.520 --> 0:09:49.520 working for them. You are working under God. If you 0:09:49.559 --> 0:09:53.040 will start being your best each day and do the 0:09:53.160 --> 0:09:56.520 right thing even though the wrong thing is happening, let 0:09:56.559 --> 0:09:59.240 me assure you God will take care of your boss, 0:10:00.160 --> 0:10:02.200 take care of the people that are doing you wrong. 0:10:02.880 --> 0:10:06.320 You have an incredible advantage when you work for the 0:10:06.320 --> 0:10:09.720 creator of the universe. God is the one that brings promotion. 0:10:10.400 --> 0:10:13.520 He's the one that lifts one up and brings another down. 0:10:13.920 --> 0:10:17.200 The scripture says God can turn the heart of a king. 0:10:17.840 --> 0:10:21.240 That simply means God can change your boss's mind. He 0:10:21.280 --> 0:10:23.960 can cause them to see you in a new light. 0:10:24.880 --> 0:10:27.720 You don't know. God may have you at that place 0:10:27.760 --> 0:10:31.560 specifically on purpose, so he can do a work in 0:10:31.600 --> 0:10:34.839 that boss. You may be the only light that person 0:10:34.920 --> 0:10:38.440 will ever see. They may never read the Bible, but 0:10:38.480 --> 0:10:41.440 they will read you. When you show up each day 0:10:41.480 --> 0:10:44.319 with a good attitude, you do the right thing, even 0:10:44.360 --> 0:10:47.760 though you're not getting the proper credit, and you are consistent. 0:10:47.840 --> 0:10:50.439 You do it day in and day out. You don't 0:10:50.480 --> 0:10:53.080 know what kind of impact you're having on that person. 0:10:53.800 --> 0:10:56.720 Keep being your best in spite of who's trying to 0:10:56.720 --> 0:10:59.960 pull you down. When you have this spirit of excellence, 0:11:00.559 --> 0:11:03.920 you go the extra mile knowing that the quality of 0:11:03.960 --> 0:11:07.600 your work is a reflection of the quality of your character. 0:11:08.520 --> 0:11:10.920 Excellence shouldn't be something that we do every once in 0:11:10.960 --> 0:11:14.480 a while, as long as somebody is watching, as long 0:11:14.559 --> 0:11:18.640 as it's evaluation month, as long as management is in town. 0:11:18.920 --> 0:11:23.079 No excellence should be our standard. It should be the norm. 0:11:23.440 --> 0:11:27.120 At home, we have these big five gallon bottles of water. 0:11:27.480 --> 0:11:31.080 They're large glass containers and they have this neck on 0:11:31.120 --> 0:11:33.040 them and you have to pick them up and turn 0:11:33.080 --> 0:11:35.240 them over and set them on the dispenser. That's how 0:11:35.280 --> 0:11:38.360 the water comes out. And they're not only very heavy, 0:11:38.400 --> 0:11:42.800 but they're extremely awkward, and Victoria likes everything super clean. 0:11:43.440 --> 0:11:45.520 And even though the part where the water goes in 0:11:45.960 --> 0:11:49.800 is completely sealed, the receptor goes way up on the inside. 0:11:49.960 --> 0:11:51.959 You can't even get to it without breaking the seal. 0:11:52.440 --> 0:11:56.200 But Victoria's pet peeve is that the whole glass bottle 0:11:56.480 --> 0:12:00.520 gets wiped down with soap and water. Why down, No 0:12:00.520 --> 0:12:03.720 matter how much you dry it, it makes it extremely slippery. 0:12:04.360 --> 0:12:07.800 And I've debated with her several times about why we 0:12:07.920 --> 0:12:10.800 do not need to wipe the whole bottle down, and 0:12:10.840 --> 0:12:14.400 how it is absolutely positively impossible for germs to get 0:12:14.480 --> 0:12:17.640 up in there it is sealed. I'm very passionate, I'm 0:12:17.760 --> 0:12:21.000 very persuasive, but I've never once been able to convince 0:12:21.040 --> 0:12:23.520 her that we don't need to do it. She likes 0:12:23.559 --> 0:12:26.200 it wife down, so I've given her my word that 0:12:26.240 --> 0:12:29.240 I will always wipe it down. But there have been 0:12:29.280 --> 0:12:34.040 a few times when we run out of water and 0:12:34.120 --> 0:12:35.600 I go to the room where we store it, and 0:12:35.640 --> 0:12:38.199 I get the new container, and I come back into 0:12:38.200 --> 0:12:42.360 the pantry where I'm all alone, nobody can see me. 0:12:43.120 --> 0:12:45.720 I'm tired. I don't feel like wiping it down. It 0:12:45.760 --> 0:12:47.960 makes it harder. It makes it so slippery. I know 0:12:48.040 --> 0:12:50.880 there's no germs on it, but every time I start 0:12:50.920 --> 0:12:53.600 to put it up, I can hear a small voice 0:12:53.679 --> 0:12:57.240 right down in here saying, Joel, do the right thing. 0:12:58.040 --> 0:13:00.320 Be a person of excellence. You've given you a word 0:13:01.080 --> 0:13:05.160 more than once. Don't listen, Victoria. More than once. I've 0:13:05.160 --> 0:13:06.960 had to take that down, put it on the ground, 0:13:07.000 --> 0:13:09.440 get the soap and water, and clean that sucker off. 0:13:10.960 --> 0:13:14.640 What am I saying Excellence is doing the right thing, 0:13:15.160 --> 0:13:18.000 even when no one can see you, even when you 0:13:18.040 --> 0:13:24.640 don't think it's necessary, even when you don't agree. You've 0:13:24.640 --> 0:13:27.040 given your word, so you're gonna live up to it. 0:13:27.679 --> 0:13:30.520 Sometimes we have to say, God, I don't feel like 0:13:30.640 --> 0:13:33.560 doing this, but I'm gonna do it under you. God, 0:13:33.559 --> 0:13:35.600 I don't agree with what my boss is telling me, 0:13:35.840 --> 0:13:38.320 but I'm gonna do it under you. I didn't make 0:13:38.360 --> 0:13:40.280 the mess. God, I shouldn't have to clean it up, 0:13:40.400 --> 0:13:43.120 but I'm gonna do it under you. A lot of 0:13:43.160 --> 0:13:46.880 people are not experiencing God's favor like they should because 0:13:46.880 --> 0:13:50.640 they're not passing the small test. Being excellent in the 0:13:50.679 --> 0:13:54.600 workplace for you may not mean some huge adjustment. It 0:13:54.640 --> 0:13:57.720 may just mean leaving ten minutes earlier so you can 0:13:57.720 --> 0:14:00.679 get to work on time. It may mean not complaining 0:14:00.760 --> 0:14:03.680 when your supervisor asked you to do something. May mean 0:14:03.800 --> 0:14:07.040 not making personal phone calls on company time. It's just 0:14:07.080 --> 0:14:10.800 a small thing. Nobody would know. It's not hurting anything. 0:14:11.559 --> 0:14:15.600 The scripture says, it's the little foxes that spoil the vines. 0:14:16.240 --> 0:14:18.200 If I'd have gone week after week putting the water 0:14:18.320 --> 0:14:21.640 up without cleaning it, nobody would have known. Just between 0:14:21.680 --> 0:14:24.120 me and God, technically I could get away with it. 0:14:24.360 --> 0:14:27.600 But here's what I've learned. I don't want something small 0:14:28.200 --> 0:14:31.720 to keep God from releasing something big. I don't want 0:14:31.800 --> 0:14:35.120 a little thing to keep me from becoming everything that 0:14:35.160 --> 0:14:39.440 God's created me to be. I remember my father told 0:14:39.480 --> 0:14:41.600 how when he was just a little boy, five or 0:14:41.640 --> 0:14:44.400 six years old, he was out in the cotton fields 0:14:44.400 --> 0:14:47.880 with his father. They were cotton farmers. One day, his 0:14:47.960 --> 0:14:50.560 father gave him a bag of cotton seed and said, John, 0:14:50.800 --> 0:14:53.280 I want you to go up and down these rows 0:14:53.560 --> 0:14:57.560 and sprinkle a little seed all along the way. Well, 0:14:57.640 --> 0:15:00.400 it was hot. My father didn't feel like do and that, 0:15:00.680 --> 0:15:02.960 so instead he came up with his own plan that 0:15:03.000 --> 0:15:05.680 he thought was much better. He was gonna dig one 0:15:05.800 --> 0:15:09.560 big hole and dump all the seeds into that. So 0:15:09.640 --> 0:15:11.680 when his father went away for a few minutes, he 0:15:11.720 --> 0:15:14.040 did just that. He dug the hole and planted every 0:15:14.040 --> 0:15:16.440 one of those cotton seeds. And he didn't think any 0:15:16.600 --> 0:15:20.640 more about it. But several months later, the strangest thing happened. 0:15:21.000 --> 0:15:24.320 There were row after row of empty fields, and on 0:15:24.360 --> 0:15:28.000 this one end it looked like a jungle. It looked 0:15:28.040 --> 0:15:31.960 like cotton on steroids. You've never seen anything like this. 0:15:32.800 --> 0:15:35.880 The scripture says, be sure your sins will find you out. 0:15:36.720 --> 0:15:39.880 What am I saying? Don't take the easy way out? 0:15:40.360 --> 0:15:43.520 Sooner or later it's gonna catch up to you. Make 0:15:43.560 --> 0:15:47.080 a decision with me. You're gonna be excellent in the workplace. 0:15:47.600 --> 0:15:50.320 That not only honors God, but it is one of 0:15:50.320 --> 0:15:54.480 the best witnesses we could ever have. I know people 0:15:54.720 --> 0:15:57.480 that can quote half the Bible, they can pray two 0:15:57.520 --> 0:16:02.080 hours a day, but they have no influence, no credibility, 0:16:02.480 --> 0:16:07.120 because they're sloppy in the workplace. They're always late, always 0:16:07.160 --> 0:16:11.480 wasting time. They're not productive, they're not efficient. No one 0:16:11.520 --> 0:16:14.560 will even listen to them. Now, I heard somebody say, 0:16:14.960 --> 0:16:19.520 your performance gives you a platform when you excel in 0:16:19.600 --> 0:16:23.360 what you do that gets people attention. You can talk 0:16:23.400 --> 0:16:26.120 to them all day long about your faith, but if 0:16:26.160 --> 0:16:29.160 they don't see something in you that they want, then 0:16:29.200 --> 0:16:31.280 it's going to go in one ear and out the other. 0:16:32.160 --> 0:16:35.200 The way to gain respect, the way to gain influence, 0:16:35.800 --> 0:16:39.360 is to develop your character and develop your skills in 0:16:39.440 --> 0:16:42.880 such a way that people are almost envious of you. 0:16:43.880 --> 0:16:46.920 They may not agree with what you believe, but when 0:16:46.960 --> 0:16:49.840 you lead the company in sales, they can't argue with 0:16:49.920 --> 0:16:52.800 that something is working. They may make fun of you 0:16:53.040 --> 0:16:56.000 at the shop, but when you're the best mechanic in 0:16:56.080 --> 0:16:59.720 the company, you've taken time to develop your skills. Then 0:16:59.760 --> 0:17:01.880 when they can't figure out how to fix the car, 0:17:02.400 --> 0:17:04.760 they may not like you, but they'll come ask you 0:17:04.800 --> 0:17:08.119 how to do it. What happened You earned their respect 0:17:08.480 --> 0:17:11.600 not by your words, but by your spirit of excellence. 0:17:12.359 --> 0:17:16.800 Jesus said it this way. Let your light shine before men, 0:17:17.520 --> 0:17:21.040 that they may see your good work and praise your 0:17:21.080 --> 0:17:24.760 Father in heaven. He's saying, if you'll develop what God's 0:17:24.800 --> 0:17:28.639 put in you and excel in your career, then when 0:17:28.720 --> 0:17:33.359 people see your accomplishments, your character, your worth ethic, that 0:17:33.440 --> 0:17:36.760 will bring praise to God. We hear the phrase a 0:17:36.760 --> 0:17:41.879 lot glory to God. Glory means to make illustrious, to 0:17:42.040 --> 0:17:45.840 exalt to a higher position. The way we bring glory 0:17:45.840 --> 0:17:48.359 to God is not just with our words, not just 0:17:48.400 --> 0:17:51.800 with our praise. But when you excel in the workplace, 0:17:52.160 --> 0:17:56.119 you are exalting God. When you develop that new software 0:17:56.160 --> 0:18:00.520 for your department, you just glorified God. When you coach 0:18:00.560 --> 0:18:04.440 your team to a winning season, you glorified God. When 0:18:04.440 --> 0:18:07.280 you are the example that your company uses to train 0:18:07.480 --> 0:18:12.040 the new employees, you glorified God. The truth is we 0:18:12.080 --> 0:18:15.760 should glorify God more during the week than we do 0:18:15.840 --> 0:18:19.280 on Sundays. We all already know how great God is 0:18:19.280 --> 0:18:22.440 in here. We know God can do anything. But when 0:18:22.480 --> 0:18:25.680 you go out Monday and you close that big cell 0:18:25.840 --> 0:18:28.960 that you've been working on and your co workers think, wow, 0:18:29.200 --> 0:18:32.560 how did he pull that off? You just glorified God. 0:18:32.680 --> 0:18:36.800 That one accomplishment made God look better. I know a 0:18:36.840 --> 0:18:40.720 young man that attends here. He has over fifty scholarships 0:18:40.920 --> 0:18:44.679 to play basketball at major universities. I saw him not 0:18:44.760 --> 0:18:47.240 long ago, and he had a big game the night before, 0:18:47.280 --> 0:18:49.639 and now ask him how he did. He had scored 0:18:49.680 --> 0:18:52.679 forty two points. I said, how many did your team score? 0:18:52.880 --> 0:18:56.120 He said eighty. He had scored more than half the points. 0:18:56.520 --> 0:19:00.280 You know what he's doing. He's glorifying God. Oh, he 0:19:00.320 --> 0:19:02.400 just won a basketball game. He just has a lot 0:19:02.400 --> 0:19:05.600 of talent. Yes, but that's the talent God's given him 0:19:05.840 --> 0:19:09.000 and now he's taken time to develop it. He's focused, 0:19:09.200 --> 0:19:14.000 he's disciplined. He's honoring God by being his best. Do 0:19:14.040 --> 0:19:16.359 you know there are a lot of talented people sitting 0:19:16.359 --> 0:19:19.680 on the sideline, a lot of gifted people that are 0:19:19.680 --> 0:19:22.440 not tapping in to what God put on the inside. 0:19:23.040 --> 0:19:26.399 And I'm not talking about competing with others and trying 0:19:26.440 --> 0:19:31.040 to outdo somebody else. I'm talking about honoring God by 0:19:31.080 --> 0:19:34.000 being the very best that you can be. And every 0:19:34.000 --> 0:19:37.160 one of us can be excellent at something. You can 0:19:37.240 --> 0:19:41.440 be an excellent mother, you can be an excellent accountant, 0:19:41.840 --> 0:19:45.560 You can be an excellent receptionist, one that finds new 0:19:45.600 --> 0:19:49.040 ways to make the company run smoother. People look at 0:19:49.040 --> 0:19:51.399 you and think, wow, we couldn't make it without that, 0:19:51.480 --> 0:19:54.359 young lady. She is something else. You know what you did. 0:19:54.680 --> 0:19:59.200 You glorified God in their mind. You made God more illustrious. 0:20:00.160 --> 0:20:02.240 You may not be able to win people over with 0:20:02.400 --> 0:20:06.040 your words. You may not gain their respect with your speech, 0:20:06.600 --> 0:20:09.280 but when you cause that company to run like a 0:20:09.280 --> 0:20:12.960 well oiled machine, then they'll respect you. When you get 0:20:13.000 --> 0:20:17.280 your students test scores higher than the expert said, that'll 0:20:17.320 --> 0:20:20.679 get attention. When you show up on time, go the 0:20:20.760 --> 0:20:25.200 extra mile, do more than that's expected, that will get noticed. 0:20:25.960 --> 0:20:29.679 Our attitude should be I'm gonna glorify God this week. 0:20:29.880 --> 0:20:32.399 I'm gonna go out and make God look better. I'm 0:20:32.440 --> 0:20:35.360 gonna make him look more illustrious by being the very 0:20:35.400 --> 0:20:38.359 best that I can be. When you have a spirit 0:20:38.400 --> 0:20:43.280 of excellence, you're always sharpening your skills. You're always looking 0:20:43.359 --> 0:20:48.320 for new ways to grow. Here's a challenge. Whatever you do, 0:20:48.440 --> 0:20:51.920 get better at it. If you're a carpenter, get better 0:20:51.960 --> 0:20:54.640 at it. If you're a doctor, get better at it. 0:20:54.800 --> 0:20:58.359 If you're in cells, get better at it. Find out 0:20:58.440 --> 0:21:01.960 how you can improve, study ways that you can become 0:21:02.240 --> 0:21:05.760 more effective. You should not be at the same skill 0:21:05.840 --> 0:21:09.439 level next year as you are right now. You should 0:21:09.480 --> 0:21:13.679 be doing something on purpose to increase your skills. You 0:21:13.760 --> 0:21:17.040 have to be proactive. We cannot sit back and just 0:21:17.160 --> 0:21:21.840 expect our talent to automatically increase. God helps the people 0:21:22.119 --> 0:21:25.760 that help themselves. Can you take courses on the internet? 0:21:26.359 --> 0:21:29.359 Do you have a mentor speaking faith into your life? 0:21:30.000 --> 0:21:32.600 Are you studying the people ahead of you? Are you 0:21:32.720 --> 0:21:36.520 learning the next position in line? If you'll take these 0:21:36.560 --> 0:21:40.520 steps to grow, it not only honors God, but God 0:21:40.560 --> 0:21:44.080 will open up the right doors. The scripture says, your 0:21:44.160 --> 0:21:47.960 gift will make room for you. You say, Joel, I never 0:21:48.000 --> 0:21:51.080 see promotion, I never see new doors open. My question 0:21:51.320 --> 0:21:55.560 is are you developing your gifts? Are you improving? Are 0:21:55.600 --> 0:21:58.800 you an employee that the company can't live without if 0:21:58.800 --> 0:22:01.199 you were to miss a couple weeks, do they miss you? 0:22:01.840 --> 0:22:06.080 Do they feel your impact? God promises if you'll develop 0:22:06.119 --> 0:22:10.040 what's in you and continually be improving, he will make 0:22:10.080 --> 0:22:13.680 sure the right doors will open. But we can't sit 0:22:13.760 --> 0:22:15.760 back and think, Okay, God opened the door, and then 0:22:15.800 --> 0:22:18.480 I'll get ready. Now we have to make the first move. 0:22:19.280 --> 0:22:22.280 We need to develop a habit of looking for ways 0:22:22.320 --> 0:22:25.440 to grow. It should be a part of our nature. 0:22:25.760 --> 0:22:31.159 It doesn't matter if we're ninety years old. We're still growing, increasing, improving. 0:22:31.800 --> 0:22:34.119 I can look back at my messages from when I 0:22:34.160 --> 0:22:37.399 first started ten years ago and see how I've improved 0:22:37.760 --> 0:22:39.760 every year. I've gotten a little bit better, a little 0:22:39.760 --> 0:22:42.600 bit better. And the fact is I could have stayed 0:22:42.640 --> 0:22:45.480 at that same level I was when I started. I 0:22:45.600 --> 0:22:48.439 wasn't bad, I was okay. Nobody would have complained, but 0:22:48.520 --> 0:22:51.879 I would not have seen these new doors open. I 0:22:51.920 --> 0:22:55.120 took time and was disciplined to develop what God's put 0:22:55.160 --> 0:22:58.240 on the inside. Now I believe even five years from now, 0:22:58.359 --> 0:23:00.480 I'll look back at this message and think, Man, I 0:23:00.520 --> 0:23:03.439 can do it a whole lot better. Now I'm constantly 0:23:03.680 --> 0:23:08.040 studying how I can improve, how can I communicate more effectively. 0:23:08.440 --> 0:23:11.800 I am proactive when it comes to sharpening my skills. 0:23:12.560 --> 0:23:14.760 No matter how great you are at what you do 0:23:14.880 --> 0:23:19.760 right now, you cannot get satisfied. When you stop improving, 0:23:20.119 --> 0:23:23.600 you stop growing. And when you stop growing, that's when 0:23:23.640 --> 0:23:27.600 you become stagnant. It's very easy to get complacent and 0:23:27.640 --> 0:23:32.080 lose your enthusiasm, start slacking off, start cutting corners. Why 0:23:32.560 --> 0:23:35.159 you're not being challenged, there's nothing pushing you. 0:23:35.840 --> 0:23:35.919 Now. 0:23:35.960 --> 0:23:38.600 I love what it says about David. He played his 0:23:38.800 --> 0:23:42.919 harp skillfully. Notice he didn't just play the harp, he 0:23:43.000 --> 0:23:46.840 played it with excellence. Even with that slingshot when he 0:23:47.000 --> 0:23:50.880 slung that stone that defeated Goliath. That was not an accident, 0:23:51.280 --> 0:23:55.360 That wasn't a lucky break. David had practiced the slingshot 0:23:55.920 --> 0:23:59.920 year after year out there in the shepherd's fields. Was 0:24:00.200 --> 0:24:04.640 extremely talented with that slingshot. Some experts say he could 0:24:04.680 --> 0:24:07.840 hit a small bullseye more than one hundred feet away. 0:24:08.400 --> 0:24:12.280 What am I saying? He didn't get complacent. He kept improving. 0:24:12.920 --> 0:24:16.840 And in today's competitive world, with the economy being so 0:24:17.040 --> 0:24:20.920 tight and business is being so bottom line oriented, if 0:24:20.960 --> 0:24:24.960 you're not growing, then you're at a disadvantage. If you're 0:24:24.960 --> 0:24:27.840 at the same skill level this year as you were 0:24:27.880 --> 0:24:31.359 five years from now, then you are falling behind. You 0:24:31.400 --> 0:24:33.879 need to step it up a notch. I saw an 0:24:33.960 --> 0:24:37.080 article that talked about how to reduce the risk of 0:24:37.160 --> 0:24:40.840 being laid off. There were three main things that businesses 0:24:41.119 --> 0:24:43.680 looked at when they're thinking about who to lay off 0:24:43.920 --> 0:24:46.359 and who not to lay off. The people that didn't 0:24:46.359 --> 0:24:50.520 get laid off Number one had a positive attitude. Number two, 0:24:50.680 --> 0:24:54.840 they were versatile, and number three they were always improving 0:24:54.920 --> 0:24:58.439 their skills. And so if you want to reduce the 0:24:58.560 --> 0:25:02.480 chance of unemployment, make sure number one you stay positive, 0:25:02.720 --> 0:25:08.040 stay flexible and keep growing, keep increasing, keep improving. If 0:25:08.080 --> 0:25:10.760 you will get better at what you do, there will 0:25:10.800 --> 0:25:14.280 always be a place for you. Your gift will make room. 0:25:15.400 --> 0:25:19.119 When you're a person of excellence, you do more than expected. 0:25:19.840 --> 0:25:22.439 You don't take the easy way out. You don't do 0:25:22.520 --> 0:25:27.200 the minimum requirement. You go the extra mile. That phrase 0:25:27.320 --> 0:25:30.600 actually comes from the Bible. Jesus said it in Matthew 0:25:30.600 --> 0:25:33.440 five point forty one. If someone asks you to walk 0:25:33.440 --> 0:25:37.400 a mile with them, do more, go two miles. Here's 0:25:37.440 --> 0:25:40.959 the context. Back in those days Roman soldiers, when they 0:25:41.000 --> 0:25:44.680 were walking through a city. By law, they could require 0:25:44.760 --> 0:25:48.080 a person to carry their armor for one mile, and 0:25:48.160 --> 0:25:51.880 after that mile they'd have to get somebody else. Jesus said, 0:25:51.920 --> 0:25:54.080 if they ask you to do it one mile, go 0:25:54.240 --> 0:25:58.400 above and beyond the call of duty. Do more than expected, 0:25:58.600 --> 0:26:01.600 carry it two miles. That's the attitude we need to have. 0:26:01.880 --> 0:26:04.720 Not I'm just gonna do what I have to. I'm 0:26:04.720 --> 0:26:07.359 gonna do the minimum amount to keep my paycheck. No, 0:26:07.680 --> 0:26:10.199 we are people of excellence. I'm gonna go above and 0:26:10.240 --> 0:26:13.480 beyond what I have to. I'm gonna do more than expected. 0:26:13.800 --> 0:26:17.360 That's the attitude God rewards. One time in the scripture, 0:26:17.800 --> 0:26:21.280 Abraham sent his servant to another country to find a 0:26:21.359 --> 0:26:24.960 wife for his son Isaac. This servant traveled a great 0:26:25.000 --> 0:26:28.679 distance with ten camels, and around sunset he came to 0:26:28.760 --> 0:26:32.080 a well outside of a city. This was a time 0:26:32.119 --> 0:26:34.400 of day that the young ladies would come and get 0:26:34.440 --> 0:26:37.679 water for their families. The servant didn't know how he 0:26:37.760 --> 0:26:40.280 was gonna know who the right wife would be for 0:26:40.359 --> 0:26:42.960 Isaac and who he was gonna choose, so he prayed. 0:26:43.320 --> 0:26:45.399 He said, God, I believe you'll give me a sign. 0:26:46.040 --> 0:26:48.720 I'm gonna ask these ladies for a drink of water, 0:26:49.320 --> 0:26:52.280 and the one that says yes, I'll give you a drink, 0:26:52.680 --> 0:26:55.920 and also let me get your camel some water, I'll 0:26:55.960 --> 0:26:59.919 know she is the right wife for Isaac. About that time, 0:27:00.080 --> 0:27:03.399 a beautiful girl named Rebecca came to the well. The 0:27:03.440 --> 0:27:05.640 servant said, I've traveled a great distance and I don't 0:27:05.640 --> 0:27:07.840 have a bucket. Do you mind getting me some water? 0:27:08.280 --> 0:27:11.639 Rebecca said sure, I will. Not only that, let me 0:27:11.680 --> 0:27:14.760 get all your camels some water as well. He knew 0:27:14.800 --> 0:27:17.680 immediately she was the right young lady. But here's what's 0:27:17.720 --> 0:27:21.600 interesting to me. A camel after a long day's walk 0:27:22.000 --> 0:27:26.000 can drink thirty gallons of water. They're like an suv. 0:27:27.720 --> 0:27:31.600 Can you imagine the magnitude of what Rebecca did? She 0:27:31.720 --> 0:27:34.480 said to the servant, Yes, I'll not only do what 0:27:34.560 --> 0:27:38.119 you've asked, but I'll dip down in this well three 0:27:38.240 --> 0:27:42.359 hundred more times and get your ten camels water as well. 0:27:42.680 --> 0:27:45.960 That's what I call going the extra mile. She went 0:27:46.119 --> 0:27:50.520 far beyond the call of duty. Notice what happened. God 0:27:50.680 --> 0:27:54.840 chose her to marry Isaac. Isaac came from one of 0:27:54.840 --> 0:27:59.200 the wealthiest, most prominent families of that day. I doubt 0:27:59.280 --> 0:28:02.040 if Rebecca ever had to reach down into a well 0:28:02.160 --> 0:28:06.760 three hundred times. Again, what am I saying? God rewards 0:28:07.000 --> 0:28:10.520 excellence when you do more than what's required of you. 0:28:10.520 --> 0:28:13.000 You better get ready. You're going to see God's favor 0:28:13.040 --> 0:28:17.720 in amazing ways. And I know today, I know today 0:28:18.040 --> 0:28:20.560 I am looking at the cream of the crop. I'm 0:28:20.600 --> 0:28:23.159 looking at people that go the extra mile. People that 0:28:23.240 --> 0:28:26.040 will say, with Rebecca, let me get your camels some water. 0:28:26.520 --> 0:28:29.159 You are people that don't cut corners. You do the 0:28:29.240 --> 0:28:32.480 right thing even though no one is watching. You'll continually 0:28:32.560 --> 0:28:37.200 sharpen your skills, growing, increasing, improving. Here's what that tells 0:28:37.240 --> 0:28:40.880 me increase is coming your way. New doors are going 0:28:40.960 --> 0:28:46.600 to open, new relationships, new connections, new opportunities. Your gift 0:28:46.760 --> 0:28:50.600 will make room for you. Get up every morning with enthusiasm. 0:28:50.920 --> 0:28:53.480 Whatever you do, large or small, do it to the 0:28:53.520 --> 0:28:57.400 best of your ability. Honor God in the workplace. If 0:28:57.440 --> 0:29:00.040 you will be a person of excellence, knowing that you 0:29:00.080 --> 0:29:03.280 are working under God and not under men, then I believe, 0:29:03.440 --> 0:29:05.920 like Rebecca, God is going to take you places that 0:29:05.960 --> 0:29:09.000 you've never dreamed of. You are going to accomplish gold 0:29:09.160 --> 0:29:13.880 you never thought possible, overcome obstacles that look insurmountable. And 0:29:13.960 --> 0:29:18.200 I believe and declare every dream, every promise God put 0:29:18.200 --> 0:29:20.840 in your heart. You're going to see that come to pass. Amen. 0:29:21.120 --> 0:29:22.240 Do you receive that today? 0:29:24.280 --> 0:29:24.440 Well? 0:29:24.480 --> 0:29:27.040 He never likes to close our broadcast without giving you 0:29:27.080 --> 0:29:29.680 an opportunity to make Jesus the lord of your life. 0:29:30.080 --> 0:29:33.800 Would you pray with me, just say, Lord, Jesus, I 0:29:33.920 --> 0:29:38.240 repent of my sins. Come into my heart. I make 0:29:38.320 --> 0:29:41.720 you my Lord and savior. Friends, if you prayed that 0:29:41.800 --> 0:29:44.520 simple prayer, we believe you got born again. Get in 0:29:44.560 --> 0:29:47.760 a good Bible based church, keep God first place. He's 0:29:47.800 --> 0:29:49.880 going to take your places you've never dreamed of. 0:29:50.640 --> 0:29:54.040 Thank you for listening to the Julus Deine podcast. Help 0:29:54.160 --> 0:29:56.880 us continue to share the message of hope with those 0:29:56.960 --> 0:30:00.560 all over the world. Visit jolus Deine dot com slash 0:30:00.640 --> 0:30:02.640 give hope to give a gift today. 0:30:03.920 --> 0:30:06.840 Thanks so much for listening to today's message. I hope 0:30:06.840 --> 0:30:10.240 you'll subscribe so you can receive the latest podcast to 0:30:10.320 --> 0:30:13.520 keep you inspired all through the week. We're praying for you. 0:30:13.680 --> 0:30:16.120 I know God's best is still ahead. We'll see you 0:30:16.200 --> 0:30:16.760 next time. 0:30:23.760 --> 0:30:25.800 Summer is here and our sleep is just as important 0:30:25.800 --> 0:30:27.920 as our weekend plans. So get the sleep you deserve 0:30:28.000 --> 0:30:30.080 with Lisa. For a limited time, save up to seven 0:30:30.120 --> 0:30:33.000 hundred dollars off select mattresses plus two free pillows during 0:30:33.040 --> 0:30:35.720 our summer sale. Check out our hybrid mattress designed to 0:30:35.760 --> 0:30:38.240 keep you cool during those hot summer nights. 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