A life of Excellence begins on the inside.
It starts with the way you think.
Phi 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.
You can model or imitate the excellence you see in others.
Heb 13:7 Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith.
3Jo 1:11 Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God.
To do this though you will need to change your thinking about who you are, who God is, what God can and will do in your life, and what you can do.
You will have to develop a new belief system of excellence.
“You can be more than you are right now, but you will never be more than you believe.”
So let us look at what it takes to develop a belief system of Excellence that glorifies God and liberates you to become the person God designed you to be.
“I maintain a youthful and positive self-image.”
What is your mental picture of your self? Where do you get that from? Watch what you look at and who you spend time with. These are primary influences in your life.
What do you read? What do you listen too? What do you watch on TV. Do you want your life to be modeled after those things, or those people? If not then turn it off or throw it away.
Pro 23:7 “For as he thinks within himself, so he is...”
If you don’t manage your thinking and consciously formulate your own beliefs and a positive self-image, you will be influenced by and at the mercy of the mass belief systems of the world around you.
Rom 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
Real change in your life is an inside job. It is your brain, your thoughts and you have the right and the responsibility to control what goes on between your ears.
“I transform negatives into positives.”
You cannot prevent negatives from coming your way. But you can choose how you respond to them. When negative things take place in most peoples lives they ask, “Why is this happening to me?” People of excellence ask themselves different questions. They ask “What is good about this problem?” “What could be the hidden benefit in this adversity?” They avoid letting fear take control of their thinking. Because fear opens the door to the enemy of your life to come in and steal, kill and destroy.
That is exactly what happened in the life of Job.
Job 3:25 "For what I fear comes upon me, And what I dread befalls me.”
If you have the habit of dwelling on the negatives of life it is time to change. Every time a negative hits your life or your thoughts you need to break this pattern by choosing to think new thoughts. Say NO! To the negative and choose to look for the positive possibility. If you continually break this pattern it will weaken and come to the place where it will not work in you life any more.
“I think on the good things of life.”
Phi 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.
What memories do you fellowship with? What pictures do you have dominating your thinking? Your thoughts will control you actions and direct your life. Pay attention to the right ones and shrink and shred the wrong ones.
“I laugh a lot and I have a great sense of humor.”
People of excellence have a wonderful sense of humor and they do not take themselves to seriously. Someone once said, “You don’t stop laughing because you grow old, you grow old because you stop laughing.”
Pro 17:22 A joyful heart is good medicine, But a broken spirit dries up the bones.
One man who had two incurable diseases over came them both through laughter. He had his family and workers collect every film they could that had comedy as its main direction and he would sit and watch and laugh. He ended up walking out of the hospital the doctors said he would die in.
“I am a life long learner and I stay active mentally.”
You have heard me say this before. “If you stop learning you stop growing and when you stop growing you start dying.” People of excellence continually develop a childlike state of intense curiosity and are always learning new things.
Mat 18:4 "Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
One man wrote the following, “No one can remain youthful who does not continue to grow, and no one can continue growing who does not keep alive his interest in the great world about him. It is a lamentable fact that multitudes of men seem incapable of receiving or accepting new ideas after they have reached middle age.”
You are not like this. You are a life long learner.
Next week I will continue with part 2 of Inner Excellence. |