Settle only for the best

To “play skillfully” means to do it well and strive for excellence when it comes to your God-given talents. One author puts it this way: “There’s a remarkable difference between 99 percent and 100 percent commitment. At 100 percent, you see your problems all the way through to their solution. At 99 percent, you can still find a way to take the path of least resistance. We live in a culture where excellence is the exception, but God’s Word says, ‘Be a…different person with a fresh newness in all you do’ (Romans 12:2 TLB). You must be willing to pay the price, and here it is: ‘To win…you must deny yourselves many things that would keep you from doing your best’ (1 Corinthians 9:25 TLB). People will gauge your character by the height of your ideals, the breadth of your compassion, the depth of your convictions, and the length of your persistence. Approach every task thinking how you can do it better.” If you’re good at crunching numbers, excel as an accountant. If you’re a skilled communicator, be the best teacher you can be. If you’re a visionary who can inspire others, be the best possible leader. A former president of Yale University points out that Hamlet could never have been written by a committee or the Mona Lisa painted by a club or the New Testament composed by a conference. Creative ideas usually come from individuals. And the great thing about life is if you refuse to accept anything but the best, you often get it!