Excellence is the gap between average and exceptional. It’s the ability to exceed expectations and consistently deliver superior quality. In developing habits of excellence, leaders gain influence and stand out from the crowd. By cultivating a culture of excellence, a business attracts customers and wins their loyalty.
Excellence Means What? It Includes…
1) Consistency
Excellence is not an act so much as it is a habit to keep choosing. To gain a reputation for excellence necessitates delivering results whenever you’re called upon. Hit-and-miss performers are neither trusted nor respected. On the other hand, those who repeatedly demonstrate competence gain credibility, and their credibility paves the way to influence.
2) Improvement
Legendary basketball coach Pat Riley defines excellence as “the gradual result of always striving to be better.” People with a spirit of excellent continuously improve; they make sure to be better tomorrow than they are today. Excellent leaders are voracious learners. Since they’re constantly growing, they always have fresh insights to impart to their teammates and new skills to contribute to their organization.
3) Creativity
Creativity attracts others to you and to your ideas. We enjoy interacting with people who open up our imaginations through the originality of their work. Creativity also gives rise to excellence by facilitating problem-solving. Sometimes creative persons break new ground; at other times they simply find innovative ways to apply existing concepts. Either way, they add value by enabling their organization to move beyond the obstacles that had previously held it back.
4) Going the Extra Mile
“To excel” literally means to go beyond average. Responsible people can be counted upon to do what is expected of them, but excellent people routinely do more than asked. Persons of excellence deliver results in such a way that leaves their customers pleasantly surprised.
Old Testament
Walking consistently with God
- Genesis 5:22-24 — Enoch walked with God.
- Genesis 6:9 — Noah walked with God.
- Genesis 17:1 — "Walk before me, and be blameless."
- Deuteronomy 5:32-33
- Deuteronomy 6:5-9
- Deuteronomy 8:6
- Deuteronomy 10:12-13
- Deuteronomy 11:18-22
- Joshua 1:7-9
- Joshua 22:5
- 1 Kings 2:2-4
- 1 Kings 8:61
Diligence and Excellence
- Proverbs 6:6-11
- Proverbs 10:4
- Proverbs 10:5
- Proverbs 12:24
- Proverbs 12:27
- Proverbs 13:4
- Proverbs 14:23
- Proverbs 18:9
- Proverbs 21:5
- Proverbs 22:29
- Proverbs 24:27
- Proverbs 24:30-34
- Ecclesiastes 9:10
Integrity and Consistency
- Psalm 1:1-3
- Psalm 15
- Psalm 26:1-3
- Psalm 37:3-7
- Psalm 90:17
- Psalm 101:2-3
- Psalm 119:1-16
- Psalm 119:33-40
- Proverbs 4:18-27
- Proverbs 20:7
- Proverbs 28:18
Fear of the Lord produces godly habits
- Proverbs 1:7
- Proverbs 3:5-8
- Proverbs 8:13
- Proverbs 9:10
- Proverbs 16:3
- Proverbs 16:17
- Isaiah 26:3-4
- Isaiah 40:31
- Micah 6:8
Serve The Lord Well- Be faithful in little things: Accept small tasks first, remembering that if you are too big for a small job, you are too little for a big job.
- Maintain the right motive: Serve for Christ alone and to bring glory to God rather than seeking personal recognition or comfort.
- Recognize and meet needs: Jump in to help where help is required instead of finding fault or complaining about how things are run.
- Stay grounded in biblical prayer: Regularly refuel your spiritual tank by spending quiet time with God so your service flows from strength rather than depletion.
New Testament
Pursuing Excellence
- Matthew 5:16
- Matthew 5:48
- Matthew 25:21
- Luke 16:10
- John 15:4-5
Spiritual Discipline
- Acts 2:42
- Romans 2:7
- Romans 5:3-5
- Romans 12:1-2
- Romans 12:9-21
- Romans 13:11-14
Renewing the Mind
- 1 Corinthians 9:24-27
- 1 Corinthians 10:31
- 1 Corinthians 15:58
- 2 Corinthians 3:18
- 2 Corinthians 5:9
- 2 Corinthians 8:7
- 2 Corinthians 10:5
Fruitful Christian Living
- Galatians 5:22-25
- Galatians 6:7-10
- Ephesians 2:10
- Ephesians 4:1-3
- Ephesians 4:22-24
- Ephesians 5:15-17
- Philippians 1:9-11
- Philippians 2:12-16
- Philippians 3:12-14
- Philippians 4:8-9
Faithful Habits
- Colossians 1:9-12
- Colossians 3:17
- Colossians 3:23-24
- 1 Thessalonians 4:1
- 1 Thessalonians 5:16-22
Training for Godliness
- 1 Timothy 4:7-8
- 1 Timothy 4:12-16
- 1 Timothy 6:11-12
- 2 Timothy 1:13
- 2 Timothy 2:15
- 2 Timothy 2:22
- 2 Timothy 3:16-17
- Titus 2:7-8
- Titus 2:11-14
- Titus 3:8
- Hebrews 5:14
- Hebrews 6:10-12
- Hebrews 10:23-25
- Hebrews 12:1-3
- Hebrews 12:11
- James 1:2-8
- James 1:22-25
- James 3:13
- 1 Peter 1:13-16
- 1 Peter 2:11-12
- 2 Peter 1:5-11
- 1 John 2:6
- 3 John 11
Christian Quotes
Charles Spurgeon
"By perseverance the snail reached the ark."
"Little things are little things, but faithfulness in little things is a great thing."
John Wesley
"Do all the good you can, by all the means you can... as long as ever you can."
A. W. Tozer
"God is looking for people through whom He can do the impossible. What a pity we plan only the things we can do by ourselves."
D. L. Moody
"Character is what you are in the dark."
"If I take care of my character, my reputation will take care of itself."
Billy Graham
"Mountaintops are for views and inspiration, but fruit is grown in the valleys."
John MacArthur
"The faithful Christian life is a long obedience marked by daily submission to Christ."
J. C. Ryle
"Holiness is the habit of being of one mind with God."
Oswald Chambers
"The remarkable thing about fearing God is that when you fear God, you fear nothing else."
Elisabeth Elliot
"Discipline begins with the mastery of the little things."
Hymns and Lyrics
"Take My Life and Let It Be"
Take my life, and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
"Trust and Obey"
Trust and obey, for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.
"I Need Thee Every Hour"
Every hour I need Thee.
"Higher Ground"
Lord, lift me up and let me stand by faith on heaven's tableland.
"Only Trust Him"
Only trust Him now.
Poetic Thoughts
Excellence is not born in one heroic hour,
But in thousands of quiet moments when no one is watching.
Holiness grows through daily repentance,
daily prayer,
daily obedience,
daily dependence upon Christ.
The oak was once an acorn that simply kept growing.
God rarely makes a saint in a moment.
He shapes one over a lifetime.
Faithfulness repeated becomes character.
Character tested becomes maturity.
Maturity surrendered becomes Christlikeness.
A biblical summary
The Bible would express Durant's idea this way:
"Godly excellence is not achieved by occasional acts of greatness but by a lifelong pattern of faithful obedience, empowered by the Holy Spirit, for the glory of God."
This theme is captured especially well by Joshua 1:8, Psalm 1:1-3, Proverbs 22:29, Luke 16:10, Romans 12:1-2, 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, Colossians 3:23-24, 1 Timothy 4:7-16, Hebrews 12:1-3, James 1:22-25, and 2 Peter 1:5-11. These passages together show that biblical excellence is not merely a habit of human self-improvement, but the consistent fruit of a life transformed by God's grace and lived in faithful obedience to Christ.
Throughout Scripture, God delights in people whose inward character produced outward excellence. Their excellence was not perfection, but a life marked by faith, integrity, diligence, humility, obedience, and perseverance.
Old Testament Examples
1. Joseph
Character: Integrity, diligence, forgiveness, wisdom, faithfulness
- Genesis 39:2-6
- Genesis 39:7-12
- Genesis 41:38-41
- Genesis 45:4-8
- Genesis 50:19-21
Joseph excelled in Potiphar's house, prison, and Pharaoh's court because he consistently honored God.
2. Daniel
Character: Integrity, courage, prayer, holiness, excellence
- Daniel 1:8
- Daniel 1:17-20
- Daniel 5:12
- Daniel 6:3-5
- Daniel 6:10
- Daniel 12:3
"An excellent spirit was in him." (Daniel 6:3)
3. Nehemiah
Character: Leadership, perseverance, prayer, organization
- Nehemiah 1:4-11
- Nehemiah 2:17-20
- Nehemiah 4:6
- Nehemiah 6:15-16
4. Ezra
Character: Love for God's Word
- Ezra 7:10
Ezra prepared his heart to study, obey, and teach God's Word.
5. Joshua
Character: Courage, obedience, steadfastness
- Exodus 33:11
- Numbers 14:6-9
- Joshua 1:7-9
- Joshua 24:15
6. Caleb
Character: Wholehearted devotion
- Numbers 14:24
- Joshua 14:6-14
7. Ruth
Character: Loyalty, humility, diligence
- Ruth 1:16-17
- Ruth 2:2-17
- Ruth 3:11
8. Boaz
Character: Integrity, generosity, godliness
- Ruth 2:4
- Ruth 2:8-12
- Ruth 3:10-13
9. David
Character: Worship, courage, repentance
- 1 Samuel 13:14
- 1 Samuel 17
- Psalm 78:70-72
- Acts 13:22
10. Samuel
Character: Integrity from youth
- 1 Samuel 2:26
- 1 Samuel 3:19
- 1 Samuel 12:1-5
11. Job
Character: Integrity and perseverance
- Job 1:1
- Job 1:8
- Job 23:10
- James 5:11
12. Mordecai
Character: Faithfulness and courage
- Esther 2:21-23
- Esther 10:3
13. Esther
Character: Courage and sacrificial leadership
- Esther 4:14-16
- Esther 7
14. Noah
Character: Righteousness
- Genesis 6:8-9
- Hebrews 11:7
15. Enoch
Character: Walked with God
- Genesis 5:22-24
- Hebrews 11:5
16. Abraham
Character: Faith and obedience
- Genesis 22
- Romans 4
- Hebrews 11:8-19
17. Moses
Character: Meekness and faithfulness
- Numbers 12:3
- Hebrews 3:2-5
New Testament Examples
1. Jesus Christ
The perfect example of excellence.
- Luke 2:52
- John 8:29
- Acts 10:38
- Hebrews 4:15
- 1 Peter 2:21-23
2. Paul
Character: Discipline, perseverance, excellence
- Acts 20:24
- 1 Corinthians 9:24-27
- Philippians 3:12-14
- 2 Timothy 4:7-8
3. Timothy
Character: Godly example
- 1 Timothy 4:12-16
- Philippians 2:19-22
- 2 Timothy 1:5
- 2 Timothy 2:15
4. Barnabas
Character: Encouragement and goodness
- Acts 4:36-37
- Acts 11:22-24
"He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith."
5. Stephen
Character: Faith, wisdom, courage
- Acts 6:3
- Acts 6:5
- Acts 7
6. Philip
Character: Evangelistic obedience
- Acts 6:5
- Acts 8:26-40
7. Apollos
Character: Teachable and mighty in Scripture
- Acts 18:24-28
8. Priscilla and Aquila
Character: Servant leadership
- Acts 18:24-26
- Romans 16:3-5
9. Epaphroditus
Character: Sacrificial service
- Philippians 2:25-30
10. Titus
Character: Faithful leadership
- Titus 1:4-9
- 2 Corinthians 8:16-17
11. John the Baptist
Character: Humility and boldness
- John 3:30
- Matthew 3
- Luke 3
12. Mary, the mother of Jesus
Character: Humility and submission
- Luke 1:38
- Luke 1:46-55
13. Dorcas (Tabitha)
Character: Good works and generosity
- Acts 9:36-42
14. Cornelius
Character: Devotion and generosity
- Acts 10:1-4
15. Onesimus
Character: Transformation and usefulness
- Philemon 10-16
These believers with excellence consistently demonstrated:
- Faith (Hebrews 11)
- Integrity (Proverbs 10:9)
- Diligence (Proverbs 22:29)
- Humility (Philippians 2:3-5)
- Obedience (John 14:15)
- Perseverance (Hebrews 12:1-3)
- Wisdom (James 3:13-18)
- Prayerfulness (1 Thessalonians 5:17)
- Holiness (1 Peter 1:15-16)
- Love (John 13:34-35)
- Servanthood (Mark 10:43-45)
- Excellence in work (Colossians 3:23-24)
- Faithfulness (Luke 16:10; 1 Corinthians 4:2)
Elaborate some, Kurt: What Are The Qualities of an Excellent Servant? The Qualities God Exhibited On Earth.
Believing in Jesus of the Bible is way excellent--He's been here and understands what we're going through! He gets it, what the battle involves. Born again believers, men and women, remind us that biblical excellence flows from a heart devoted to God. As Daniel illustrates, "an excellent spirit" (Daniel 6:3) is cultivated through a life of faithful obedience, and as Paul exhorts believers, "whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men" (Colossians 3:23).
Political powerbrokers and successful CEOs—they’re what the world thinks of when it thinks “leader.” What’s more, churches often seem to take their cues from the Fortune 500 and Capitol Hill—not God’s Word—when it comes to shepherding their people.
What does it take to be a leader by God’s definition? What traits should people see in you—what characteristics should shine through—if you’re going to effectively guide and nurture others? The overarching principle: Christian leaders are, first of all, servants.
Whether your name is on your church’s letterhead or you simply want to lead your family with excellence, make sure you’re pursuing the Qualities of an Excellent Servant. John MacArthur shows you how those qualities are within your reach.
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