John 13.34
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Scripture tells us that God made us in his image, and it should be noted that God’s image in us has three dimensions: moral, relational, and functional. The bad news is that the Fall damaged and distorted all three dimensions. The good news is that through Jesus, all three dimensions are redeemed.
As the Lord’s redeemed people, we are called to be morally, relationally, and functionally hayil. In other words, Jesus calls us to live all three dimensions of our life in alignment with his standards of excellence.
“You therefore must be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5.48)
In case you hadn’t noticed, this is the reason why I chose “A Call to Excellence” as the title for this devotional website. God calls us to moral, relational, and functional excellence, and I am committed to studying and providing biblical and practical insights into how to respond to God’s calling on our life.
And it must be stated repeatedly that living in alignment with God’s standards of excellence is not a condition for salvation; rather, it is something that flows from our relationship with Jesus because we are saved. Scripture is abundantly clear that we are saved by grace through faith, and not the result of works (see Ephesians 2.8-9). However, once we are saved, the Lord works in us and through us to produce good works (see Ephesians 2.10).
Through Christ we are positionally perfect before God, and we are engaged in the process of growing into greater degrees of Christlikeness. “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” (2 Corinthians 3.18)
Relational excellence, then, is the fruit that grows and flows from our life as a result of trusting and abiding in Christ.
So examine yourself. Are you hayil in your marriage? Are you hayil in the way you parent your children? Are you hayil toward your parents? Are you hayil in your friendships? Are you hayil in your relationships at work? That is, are you virtuous, strong, and skillful in the way you interact with the people in your life?
Where are your gaps? What relationship skills do you need to build? Where do you need to get better? Resist the temptation to evaluate other people. Don’t evaluate your spouse or your children or your parents or your friends or your colleagues at work. Evaluate yourself.
It’s a consistent theme in Proverbs. Trust God, do the work, and commit to relational excellence. Be hayil.
