Excellence as Worship: Aligning Life with God's Standards

Ralph Estep Jr. [00:00]

So here's our question for today: What does it mean to pursue excellence in all that we do—in our work, in our relationships, and in our stewardship—as an offering of worship to God? I'm also going to share some action steps I'm personally taking to reach this level of excellence. Well, that's what we're going to discuss on today's show. So stay tuned.

Announcer [00:26]

Welcome to the Ask Ralph Podcast, where listening to an experienced financial professional with over 30 years of experience can help you make sense of confusing questions, current headlines, and industry trends about taxes, small business, financial decision-making, investment strategies, and even the art of proper budgeting. Ask Ralph makes the complex simple by sharing his real-world knowledge from a Christian perspective on all things financial. Now here's your host, Ralph Estep Jr.

Ralph Estep Jr. [00:59]

Welcome to our Spiritual Sunday show. I'm so glad you chose to join us. I just want to thank you for listening and, more importantly, for supporting the program. I'm coming to you today from the Estep farm in this beautiful Saggio Accounting Studio. Let me put on my podcaster hat, put down those overalls—yes, I wear overalls when I'm working on the farm—and push that adding machine to the side. Let's get into some financial wisdom from a Christian perspective.

Ralph Estep Jr. [01:24]

In today's episode, we're going to explore the idea of excellence as an act of worship. The Bible makes it clear that everything we do in life should be done to honor and glorify God. Our work, our interactions, our stewardship of resources—all of it is an opportunity to worship the Lord.

Ralph Estep Jr. [01:45]

So, what does this actually look like in practice? How can we shift our mindsets and habits to intentionally live a lifestyle of excellence that lifts up the name of Jesus?

Ralph Estep Jr. [01:57]

But don't forget to subscribe to the show and join our email list. You can do that at askralphpodcast.com so you don't miss tomorrow's show. Tomorrow, we're going to discuss what happens when a parent passes away and leaves you a house. This is a very common situation, and we're going to discuss how to handle that situation with confidence. I want you to be confident during this difficult emotional time. We also just launched an insider's group on Facebook, and I encourage each of our listeners to join the group to continue the conversation from the show. It's a great place to share ideas for the show, discuss your triumphs, and also your challenges. I have a link to the Facebook group in the show notes.

Ralph Estep Jr. [02:37]

Let's start with our daily Bible verse. This is from 1 Corinthians, chapter 10, verse 31. And it says this: "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." So let's get right to how we can shift our mindsets and habits to intentionally live a lifestyle of excellence that lifts up the name of Jesus. The first is this:

Ralph Estep Jr. [03:01]

Excellence at work honors God's design for meaningful labor. God created work before the fall as part of His perfect plan for human flourishing. Our work is meant to be an act of co-creation with God, using the gifts and talents He's given us. Pursuing excellence in our jobs aligns our efforts with God's intent for meaningful work that adds value to the world. The scriptures talk extensively about working heartily as unto the Lord, not man. We represent Christ in all that we do, so we've got to strive for excellence.

Ralph Estep Jr. [03:37]

Secondly, excellence in relationships reflects the love of Christ. The way we treat others, including family members, friends, colleagues, employees, and even strangers, is a direct reflection of the love that Christ has shown us. Pursuing excellence in our words, patience, kindness, compassion, generosity, and care for others brings glory to God by mirroring His perfect love. Whether that's at home, at church, or at work, our relationships provide endless opportunities to honor God through excellence.

Ralph Estep Jr. [04:19]

Thirdly, excellence in stewardship magnifies God's abundance and sovereignty. The way we manage our time, energy, finances, resources, and talents either displays trust in God's provision or worry stemming from believing the lie of scarcity. Pursuing excellence in stewardship requires full reliance on God's abundance, wisdom, and blessing rather than our own effort. Generously sharing our gifts, wisely saving and investing excess, skillfully managing demands on our time, and intentionally planning for the future—all these things magnify God's abundant grace and sovereign care.

Ralph Estep Jr. [05:05]

Excellence means going above and beyond worldly measures of "good enough" to align with heavenly standards grounded in love for God and for others. We don't ever want to just be "good enough."

Ralph Estep Jr. [05:19]

So let's get to some action items.

Ralph Estep Jr. [05:21]

I always want to give you some action steps to put our plans to work.

Ralph Estep Jr. [05:24]

Action step number one: Take inventory of the areas of your life most in need of realignment with standards of excellence. Ask God to reveal any complacency or mediocrity that needs to shift. Personally, I've battled this in working on important relationships with my wife and sons. I see this as an area where I can grow, so I began asking God to give me His wisdom in this area of my life.

Ralph Estep Jr. [05:51]

Action step number two: Set one to three specific and measurable goals for improvement that honor God and serve others. Focus on progress over perfection. Like I always say, it's not a destination—it's all about the journey. So for me, I've worked hard over the past year or so, trying to understand my wife and my sons more and working to connect with them in areas of their interest instead of just my interests.

Ralph Estep Jr. [06:19]

Action step number three: Replace scarcity and self-reliance with intentional reliance on the Spirit's wisdom, the Spirit's empowerment, and God's abundance to fuel sustainable change. You can't manufacture excellence on your own strength. How very true is that? I've learned to pray for God's wisdom as I work on rebuilding important relationships in my life. Clearly, I don't have all the answers, so I simply ask God on a daily basis to show me His will and His wisdom. And when I'm quiet and submit to His perfect plan, I see success in restoring and building stronger relationships. Again, it's a journey—it's not a destination, and it's not about perfection.

Ralph Estep Jr. [07:08]

Well, let's close in prayer. Father God, we know that You deserve nothing less than our true excellence—the very best of everything we are and everything we do. Forgive us for the places we have settled for mediocrity when You intend our lives to honor and glorify You. Help us see every task, every relationship, and every stewardship opportunity as an act of worship to You. Fill us afresh with Your Spirit. Align our hearts with Yours and give us the strength, the wisdom, the grace, and reliance on You needed to pursue excellence in a way that lifts Your name on high. We choose to offer You our utmost for Your highest glory. In Jesus's name, Amen.

Ralph Estep Jr. [07:57]

Well, let's do a quick recap of what we covered today. In today's episode, we discussed what it means to pursue excellence in all areas of life—whether that be in work, relationships, and more importantly, in stewardship. And we do this as an intentional act of worship to bring glory to God. True excellence requires relying on God's strength and abundance rather than our own effort. We will never do this on our own. We explored practical action steps for evaluating areas of complacency in our lives to align with God's standards of excellence, grounded in love for Him and for others. Excellence honors the meaningful work God created for us, it reflects Christ-like love in relationships, and it magnifies God's gracious provision. I hope you feel encouraged to offer your utmost for God's highest glory.

Ralph Estep Jr. [08:52]

As always, visit askralphpodcast.com to connect with me and share this episode with anyone who needs encouragement or practical tips for pursuing excellence as an offering to God. Stay tuned next time as we continue to explore topics that help you master your finances with a Christian perspective. Focus first on honoring God, and the rest will follow—I promise you that's true. So as I always say, stay financially savvy and may God bless you abundantly on this Sunday.

Announcer [09:24]

Thank you for joining us on the Ask Ralph podcast. And with a simple click to subscribe, we'll invite you back to our next episode. And remember, financial issues don't have to be complicated. Just Ask Ralph. The information contained in this episode of Ask Ralph is based on data available as of the date of its release. Saggio Accounting Plus and Ask Ralph Media Inc. is under no obligation to update this content if changes occur. Applying this information to your specific situation requires careful consideration of all facts and circumstances, and any information provided is not to be considered as financial, tax, or legal advice.