Excellence Matters
Watching the story of Brazen Animation we learn that it’s important that we don’t try to win at all costs. Instead, we have to win the right way. Discuss these 3 questions:
How does planning, professional development, cultural formation, goal setting, execution, and assessment reflect the image of God?
The conversation about excellence can often lead to a wrestling with perfection—either being paralyzed in striving for it or reaching for an unrealistic goal. How can you balance quality with a commitment to giving God your best?
How is your work building a platform to proclaim God’s glory? How do we ensure that this doesn’t lead us down of path of believeing that if we do good work God will bless it?
This guide is intended for personal reflection and to help facilitate a meaningful group discussion. Take a moment to watch the video and read over the guide before your group meeting. Be prepared with some personal examples to help encourage discussion. If helpful, before you meet, print out or email a copy of this guide to all those who will attend the meeting.
5 Ideas to Explore the Mark Further
There’s no limit to the ways you can explore the Marks of a Faith Driven Entrepreneur. What we provide below are five ideas we think might lead each one of us to an even greater understanding of our God-given call to create.
Journal: Where does excellence end and perfectionism begin? It’s a tightrope we walk everyday as we pursue quality in our work. As soon as this drive to be the best becomes all about us—our reputation, our glory, our name—we run the risk of our work becoming self-gratifying rather than an offering to God. Write about that and what it looks like for you to pursue excellence rather than perfectionism.
Interact: We believe that we were created in the image of God—a God who worked 6 days and whose work was “good”. We also know that His work continues to this day. This understanding as God’s image bearer, together with the gratitude that comes from the gift of life, now and forever, provides us with a nuclear energy source that allows us to strive for, and achieve excellence.
Consider: Colossians 3:23 and 1 Corinthians 10:31 are both saying similar things – work hard at everything you do in order to bring glory to God. Don’t do it to gain worldly recognition. This can apply to a job you may not love or a task you’d rather skip over. You may look at these circumstances as beneath or unworthy of your attention. But in fact, we are called to a greater understanding of work. We need to be working as if God were the owner of our business. And our attention to it is an act of worship to who he is and what he means to us.
Act Differently: Establish a program for professional development within your company. Go through it yourself. Invite your employees to do the same. What ways can you pursue professional development as a solo-preneur? Never stop learning and growing so you can be the best you can be in your trade, industry, or craft.
Learn From Others: Visit faithdrivenentrepreneur.org to learn more or join the conversation by listening to our weekly Faith Driven Entrepreneur Podcast.
Entrepreneurs can travel a lonely road. But you’re not alone. You’re sitting next to a group of like-minded business owners right now. One of the best ways to grow the Faith Driven Movement is to multiply your group.
Is someone in your group ready to raise his or her hand to start a Faith Driven Entrepreneur Group at a local church? Apply at faithdrivenentrepreneur.org/lead-a-group
