Woman of Excellence
Chapter 3 of “Kingdom Woman” by Dr. Tony Evans
What is excellence? Excellence is needing little to no improvement. Excellence is something that we all desire in most aspects of our lives. No matter where we go or what we do, we expect some level of perfection, especially when we are spending our money!
In this chapter Dr. Evans defines excellence as “… living your finest by giving your best”. Dr. Evans points out several ideas about excellence.
One of the thing that Dr. Evans points out is that excellence is a spiritual issue. God desires excellence. We must then rise to the level of excellence that God desires.
I love that Dr. Tony Evans reminds us that being a woman of excellence is not based on the world’s view of excellence. I confess that when I read the title of this chapter, I thought for sure this chapter would be talking about sternal factors of a successful woman. My mind went to the Proverbs 31 woman. I was so wrong! 🤷🏽♀️
Dr. Tony Evans points out that being a woman of excellence is not about our status in life, or title behind our name. According to Dr Evans being a woman of excellent is about how well we serve God. I am going to add that being a Woman of Excellence is about serving others!
Dr. Evans talks about Ruth in this chapter and how she fulfilled her job with a spirit of excellence. Ruth was a widow who after losing her husband suddenly, opted to remain with her mother-n-law and take care of her. Ruth remained faithful to Naomi and committed her life to taking care of her. Ruth worked in the field to provide for herself and her mother-n-law. One day while serving in the field, Boaz noticed her diligence in working and became interested in knowing more about Ruth. Boaz then takes Ruth as his wife! Remember Ruth was not working to be noticed, but she was working to serve.
Dr. Evans reminds us that when we stand before God on judgement day that God will not only judge us for what we have done for the kingdom, but God will evaluate how well we did it. (Pg. 46) Whew! It’s not enough to serve God with our acts of service! As kingdom women we must do it with a spirit of excellence. Imagine a man falling in love with you because he notices your work ethic. I am on a bunny trail, but that’s a man with confidence! Thats a man who is not intimidated by a woman who focused on her goals! I digress! 😀 Ruth must have been gleaning (getting the leftovers) like a boss. Her excellence shined bright! I believe Ruth understood that it wasn’t just about her. She knew she had to take care of her mother-n-law.
Phillipians 1:10 tells us to pursue excellence. Dr. Tony points out that excellence is a spiritual issue. Dr. Tony reminds us that we should do everything as if we are doing it for God. Dr. Evans tells us in chapter 3 that being a woman of excellence is a “spiritual issue”. Being a woman of excellence is about our relationship with God. If we are still serving in church for selfish gain, then we are missing the mark! Life is so much bigger than you!
“Excellent people who set their minds on God do not have to be prodded to do well. They fulfill their responsibilities willingly because they do them unto the Lord”
I love what Chrystal shares in her chronicles! She said that there is very little room for selfishness in servanthood. As a Kingdom Woman we can’t serve God with hidden agendas or for selfish gain. Ruth served without looking for recognition. Although she had a purpose, for gleaning, her motives were not selfishly rooted. Remember that she wanted to take care of Mother n law. We should serve one another with the idea that we are serving God.
There were so many nuggets in this chapter. There are just too many to point out in this brief discussion. I highly encourage you to read this book for yourself and make your own notes and apply what you learn.
In closing I just want to point out one more thing that stood out to me in this chapter. On page 48 of “Kingdom Woman”, Dr. Evans points out that excellence does not mean perfection! That’s right! Although we strive for perfection, excellence does not mean that we are perfect. In fact the book states that we will only be perfect in death. Dr. Evans also reminds us that excellence is not about comparing ourselves with others, or using the worlds standard of excellence.
This chapter states that excellence is doing all that we can with what we have at the moment. God’s Word declares that God has given us everything that pertains to life and godliness. (II Peter 2:3) For a kingdom woman excellence is connected to your relationships God! Please understand that being a woman of excellence is a spiritual matter! Phillipians 2:13 states that it is God who works in you to do His good will!
Remember that being a woman of excellence is based on how well you serve God and others with the talents he has given you.
For discussion:
How does Dr. Evans describe the difference between a success woman and a woman of excellence?
Please join us next week as we discuss “A Woman of Commitment”.