“Therefore, as ye abound in every thing, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also.” – II Corinthians 8:7

Read : Psalms 1:1-3; Joshua 1:8; III John 2; II Peter 1:3-11

It is actually possible to be a great student with straight ‘A’ grades but at the same time have a horrible relationship with people. We all know people who seem to excel in some academic or professional pursuit but who are hard to get along with. The world may consider such people successful because of their achievements in some area or the other, but God thinks otherwise. It is possible to excel in finances but be a mediocre Christian. That is not success. Success really means excelling in every area of life like God. We learned in our study yesterday, God is One to do all (not some) things well. He specializes in perfecting every area of life. And as His children, we ought to emulate Him. I need to judge myself and judge every area of my life at all times to make sure I am striving for the best lifestyle possible. Are you doing that in your life? The Apostle Paul writing to the Corinthian church admonished them to strive to improve in all areas of life. Like us, they were doing well in certain areas but not so good in some others. Personally, it is very easy for me to excel in some of the things that I love to do. That is my ‘Comfort Zone.’ But that is not good enough. Like you, I need to make the pursuit of excellence the forefront goal of my life. I need to challenge those areas that I am not very good at. That will require work, sacrifice, and dedication. But it will be well worth it. The attention you give to developing the neglected areas of your life will pay off in the long run. So take stock today:  In what areas are you lagging behind? Spiritual commitment? Marriage (or other relationships)? Your health, etc.? Remember that God has made His grace available to you. So, you will succeed if you work at it. Make that your prayer and confession today.