3 Ways to Live in Excellence
One of my favorite parts of the Bible is the building of the Tabernacle. Yes, those chapters in Exodus you glaze over because of all those measurements in cubits and making of 50 loops of..blah...and...blah blah…what now?
I love this whole section because it’s a reminder that God didn’t ask for the leftovers in the building of his dwelling place. I believe there are solid truths for us to understand to improve our standard of excellence, especially as Christ-followers in communities of churches across the globe.
Be Excellent in Letting Go of the Past
God required the excellence of the Israelites. Yes, the people who were enslaved for 400 years. And they were now living in the desert. He didn’t ask for their excuses of what they didn’t know. He didn’t give them much of a break while they were in transition. He asked for their best, right there in their wanderings, to worship Him with everything they had.
You likely know the story of the golden calf (Exodus 32). Moses was up on Mt. Sinai for 40 days, and the Israelites were restless. They told Aaron (Moses’ brother & substitute leader) to build them a god they could worship. Aaron concedes and asks them for all their gold jewelry to make the golden calf.
Stop. Right. There.
Where did they get gold jewelry from? This jewelry was a reminder of their slavery in Egypt, whether it was plunder from the Egyptians or other representations of their slavery. The Israelites couldn’t grasp freedom yet. They didn’t understand it. This act was a transference of their bondage from slavery to idolatry.
What does this look like? Maybe you have come out of addiction, but now you find yourself as a compulsive shopper. Perhaps your anger issues have taken on a more passive form of control with your family or co-workers.
For me, I identify my continuous lack of trusting God for meeting my needs by working too much. At first, this showed up in my career, working to achieve the next salary bump or promotion. Now, I somehow think it’s my responsibility to cover all the gaps instead of trusting God to provide the right plan or person, even if that isn’t me.
What has God freed you from? What is your Egypt? Are you walking in that freedom, or have you transferred your bondage from one place to another?
Be Excellent in Your Offerings & Skills
Skip ahead to Exodus 35:22. We see the Israelites bring the gold they have remaining to give as an offering so that the Tabernacle, literally the dwelling place of God among them, could be built to the specifications God gave them. There was so much gold and other resources given, in Exodus 36:6-7, Moses had to ask the people to stop giving because there was such an abundance!
It doesn’t just stop with gold and other valuable resources given. When we read on, we see they needed skilled craftsmen to do this work. These skilled craftsmen gained their skills from their time working for their masters in slavery.
The dwelling place of God was built and created with the resources from their bondage and by the hands of recently freed-from-slavery men. I don’t believe it was God’s will for the Israelites to be in slavery for 400 years. I do think God used this situation to redeem His people, bring glory to His name, and create an unshakeable foundation for the future.
This is Romans 8:28. Not that everything that happens to a Christ-follower is good, but that God works all things together for the good of all those who follow HIM.
I am so grateful for this.
The dark depression that plagues me has given me a heart of compassion for others who struggle with mental illness. My workaholic tendencies have taught me how to hustle for God’s kingdom. God took what was meant for evil, and He has transformed it for His good. This is how God works.
What are the resources or skills you’ve learned from your life of bondage that God works together for good today?
Be Excellent When God’s Spirit Moves in Your Work
In Exodus 35:30, Moses declares that Bezalel is the one to lead this charge, saying, “He has filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills…”
Grasp this. Sometimes when God fills us with His Spirit, it borders in mysticism, like visions or miracles. But mostly, when God fills us with His Spirit, it’s in a very practical way for very practical reasons. Bezalel used his talents and gifts to give glory to God because God had filled him with His Spirit.
For too long, the Church has settled for mediocre. We excuse our poor results on budget, that we are at the mercy of whoever will do it, or some other *lame* excuse. And sometimes the things don’t get done because the 10% in your church are burnt out from doing all the things. But when we trust that God is at the helm of our efforts, we can trust that He will provide all the resources. We only need to show up ready for the next right step.
Do you accept the work you do, whatever it is, as being filled by the Holy Spirit to do it? Whether your job is working in a department store to a cubicle to doing laundry for your home, God’s Spirit fills you and empowers you to do it and to do it well. All so it might be a dwelling place for God to live.
One More Thing…
Bezalel didn’t just do everything by himself. As we read through the rest of the chapter, we see that Bezalel had a team, including Oholiab, and the ability to teach others so they could carry the burden together. We are called to be in community, not just for emotional support, but for the actual work of physical labor in achieving excellence.
Community goes the other way too. The Israelites together got themselves into a whole big mess in making a golden calf. They pursued temporary pleasure and satisfaction and happiness with the ones they called their family and friends.
Who are your people surrounding you? Do they lead you down the path of distrusting God, leading to mediocrity, stubbornness, and self-glorification? Or do they carry the burden of excellence with you, all in the name of making God’s name known?
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