21 Days to Excellence
by Marilyn Hickey
You are just 21 days away from achieving excellence in every area of your life
is if you follow the simple formula of this teaching!
"Faster than a speeding bullet—able to leap tall buildings in a single
bound"—it's your childhood hero! Do you remember when you dreamed of doing
mighty exploits as the hero or heroine of your childhood fantasies? God has
placed a desire in all of us to excel in some area of life. We all may not
become "Super Christians," but we all can experience the thrill of victory as
we achieve greatness in those areas where God has called us.
God's Formula for YOUR Success
Believe it or not, you are just 21 days away from that kind of excellence! I am
going to give you the formula; but first, like clearing rocks from a stony
field, we must remove those stumbling stones that hinder us from excellence. A
clear picture of how to do this is seen in comparing two brothers, Reuben and
Joseph. Reuben's birthright entitled him to excellence in every area of his
life: excellency of power—the right to be "king" over the family, excellency of
dignity—priestly rights to minister to family needs, and a double portion of
the family inheritance—prosperity.
"Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the
excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power" (Genesis 49:3).
But Reuben had a flaw—a flaw that became the stumbling block to his ability to
excel. Unfortunately, when Reuben stumbled, the birthright slipped from his
grasp. Reuben's flaw was instability: he would waver and backslide for a while,
then settle down to temporary spirituality. For example, Reuben interceded when
his brothers tossed Joseph into a pit to kill him. "Don't kill him!" argued
Reuben, who intended to come back later and rescue Joseph. Temporarily, Reuben
excelled, but then turned around and wavered some more:
"Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel; because thou wentest up to thy
father's bed; then defiledst thou it:..." (Genesis 49:4).
Jacob really zeroed in on his son Reuben: "You can't excel because you're
unstable. You went to bed with my concubine." One minute Reuben was saving a
life, the next he was committing adultery: he was unstable. But the power of
excellence is contingent upon stability.
When Pressure Comes, will you choose Excellence? Or Mediocrity?
I took piano lessons for four or five years, but I hurt my hand and quit. When
I resumed the lessons, I'd practice for two weeks, then skip a week; I'd
practice some more, then skip some more. I was unstable in my practice;
consequently, I didn't excel in piano. If we sow instability, we will reap
mediocrity, that's why Reuben was mediocre.
Joseph, on the other hand, excelled in every area. Early in his life, Joseph
secured a sturdy foundation for excellence. At the age of 17, he became the
administrator of his father's estate because of his stability. Even after he
was thrown in the pit and sold into Egyptian slavery, Joseph remained diligent
in administration over Potiphar's house. Later he was unjustly accused and
thrown into prison; but Joseph tossed out the stumbling block of self-pity,
faithfully maintained his relationship with God, and wisely administered right
where he was—in prison. Joseph could have said, "Poor me! My brothers hated me,
I was sold into slavery, and here I am, unjustly stuck in a dungeon. I'm not
going to serve God; it doesn't pay."
Joseph remained stable; therefore, when Pharaoh sent for Joseph to interpret a
dream, he excelled, and Pharaoh put him in charge of the largest empire of that
day! Joseph excelled in every circumstance and became a great leader for one
reason alone: stability.
I asked my daughter Sarah what caused her high school basketball team to excel.
She said, "We practiced! For five months we practiced 1 1/2 hours every day and
many times on weekends." As a result they lost only one game in two years! Why?
They sowed stability and reaped excellence!
You may be thinking, "Marilyn, I have never excelled in anything in my life. I
have so many areas that are unstable, how do I achieve stability?" Scientists
have discovered that it takes 21 days to establish a habit or a stronghold.
Establish a stronghold in your relationship with Jesus, and you will excel in
every area of your life! When you seek first the kingdom of God, then all those
other areas will be added to you.
Here is my 21-Day Plan for You:
Day 1
Start With a Thought.
The Bible says that without a vision the people perish. (See Proverbs 29:18
KJV.) So the first step toward conceiving a habit is to start with a vision or
a thought. God used this principle when He gave Joseph a dream that he would
rule over his family. Make a decision to read the Word faithfully, and to have
fellowship with Jesus—your spiritual lover—eagerly longing to be with Him! See
your spirit receiving supernatural wisdom and excellence as you spend time in
God's presence. Meditate upon this as much as possible.
Day 2
A Thought Becomes a Word.
The Bible says that if we dwell upon a thought long enough, we will speak it
aloud. (See Matthew 12:34.) Just as Joseph spoke his dream to his family, you
can tell Jesus aloud how much you enjoy being in His presence. Thank Him for
making you stable in your relationship with Him. Write out a Bible-reading
schedule, or use our Bible-reading plan. Keep your schedule simple. The key is
stability.
Day 3-7
A Word Becomes an Action.
After Joseph spoke his dreams, he began acting like a ruler. In fact, Joseph
was so faithful in this that he was given a coat of authority. Be faithful to
continue fellowshipping daily. Every day say, "Jesus, help me with today." Just
do it ONE DAY AT A TIME.
Day 8-14
An Action Becomes a Habit.
Repeat the steps from the first week, being careful to continue reading and
praying. Remember, Joseph encountered severe challenges that could have caused
him to quit. However, he went back and recalled his dreams, so he would have
faith to continue.
Day 15-21
A Habit Becomes a Stronghold.
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday—don’t even take off Saturday or
Sunday! By sowing stability, you have reaped a habit. Better yet, as you
continue, you will establish a stronghold! Sow a stronghold; and you will reap
a character!
Do you see how it works? You come to Jesus, stay with your plan, and pretty
soon it becomes your character to read and pray.
Leadership was part of Joseph's character, so he couldn't help but become the
king's second in command. And Joseph not only served the king, but he was given
the double portion from the birthright Reuben lost! Joseph sowed a character of
stable administration and reaped a king's destiny.
When you sow character, you reap a destiny—and that destiny will be excellence.
You will be a king and a priest on this earth and an heir to the double portion
of blessings due the firstborn sons of God! You will have achieved excellence
for "His Excellency"!
LET’S PRAY TOGETHER
Heavenly Father, I pray for stability in my relationship with You. And I pray
that out of that relationship I will reap a destiny of excellence. I am looking
forward to the day when You will say, "Well done, good and faithful servant;
enter into the joy of your master." In Jesus' name, amen.
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