Expect Excellence Everyday
By: Xavier Woon
Tags: Leadership, Parenting, Christian, Family, Catholic

Don’t slide down the slippery slope of sloppiness

Photo by Cici Hung on Unsplash

Reflection Mark 14:1–11

The Jews celebrated the Passover Meal and the Feast of Unleavened Bread to commemorate Moses leading the Jews out of Egypt. They could have died as slaves, but God led them to a new life in the Promised Land. Many years later, The Jews found themselves in the same situation. Israel was occupied by the Greeks and then the Romans. Again, the Jews were spiritually influenced by the pagan practices of the dominant culture and their worship was in decline. They were drowning in their sins and there was little hope. It was in this social and spiritual backdrop that a woman came to anoint Jesus by pouring expensive perfume on His head. Those who were there saw it as wastage. They judged her actions purely on monetary terms. They boasted that they could sell the perfume for a handsome profit and donate it to the poor to show-off their kindness. This was precisely the money-mindedness that resulted in a selfish and sinful community. Jesus, on the other hand, saw her action as a sacrifice. She was willing to use her best perfume on Him.

Corporate Leadership

After doing the same work for an extended period of time, people tend to slack. Mass production may result in cutting corners. Quality suffers. All of this is because making a profit must come first. This has a spiritual equivalent. During Jesus’ time, the devout Jews could do nothing but watch their culture and worship slowly overtaken by pagan philosophy and practices. What was once holy was now desecrated. The succeeding generation fared worse than the preceding generation. Hence, Jesus had to show the Jews what God intended the Jewish worship to be. If everyone were to sacrifice themselves for another, the whole nation would prosper once again. Likewise, when a leader notices a drop in work quality, it means that someone is slack in his work attitude. If this person’s attitude is not arrested, he will eventually infect others with it. When that happens product and service suffer. Eventually, competitors with higher standards will force the company out of business. Hence, whenever a leader notices someone with a poor attitude, he has to be bold in calling out that person’s poor attitude and help raise it to excellence. Ralph Marston, an American professional football player said, “Excellence is not a skill, it’s an attitude.” — XW

Family Leadership

Often, children do things in a sloppy way because they are more interested in playing, eating, or just lazing around. This is not surprising as children tend to be more self-absorbed. It is hard for them to be motivated to do things that do not interest them. However, if parents condone poor attitude, children will learn that having a low standard of work is fine. This was what happened during Jesus’ time. The religious leaders were more interested in their own wealth. Instead of ensuring that God’s commandments were met faithfully, they began to accept pagan culture and practices. Very soon, the whole society degenerated. Jesus had to teach the religious leaders God’s principles and the standard expected of them. Likewise, parents do have to point out children’s poor attitude when doing some tasks at home. Make your expectations known. At the same time, make the tasks simple enough for them to finish. When they do it satisfactorily, give them praises and encouragement. Doing small things well every day creates a spirit of excellence in them. Colin Powell, an American politician, diplomat & retired four-star general said, “If you are going to achieve excellence in big things, you develop the habit in little matters. Excellence is not an exception. It is a prevailing attitude.” — XW

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