“The first necessary quality of a spiritual leader who “stands out” is the spirit of excellence!” – Mike Riley

Do you see a man who excels in his work? He will stand before kings; He will not stand before unknown men. (Proverbs 22:29)

Who is the ref in your life?

The past few devotionals have focused on personal accountability. For the next week, we will continue are examination of the “QBQ! – the question behind the question.” The following is an excerpt from chapter 16 of the book by that name.

My father, Jimmy Miller, was head wrestling coach at Cornell University in Ithica, N.Y., for more than 25 years. When he sent me out to the mat, he’d always remind me I had three people to beat that day: my opponent, myself, and the referee.

That I had to beat my opponent was obvious. By “myself” he meant I had to overcome the fears any athlete naturally has. About beating the ref, he’d say, “It doesn’t matter how close the match is, John. Even if you lose in overtime by one point, even if he makes a couple of questionable calls, you cannot blame the man in black and white.” He’d conclude by saying, “If you want to win, you must be good enough to beat the ref!”

Who is the “ref” in your life? What person or situation beyond your control is standing between you and success?

Instead of focusing on the barriers, let’s work to become so good that we’ll succeed no matter how many bad calls the ref may throw at us. If you want to win, don’t complain about things beyond your control. Just be good enough to beat the ref.

Prayer Power
Heavenly Father, Almighty God, I praise You as the God of excellence. May I do all that I do with excellence. Thank You for Your promise that I will stand before kings. In Jesus name, I pray. Amen.

Link of the Day
The Spirit Of Excellence! – by Mike Riley [http://gewatkins.preachersfiles.com/the-spirit-of-excellence/]

Blessings to beat the ref in your life!