“Strive to excel in building up the church” 1 Cor.14:12

Excellence is a quality that God exemplifies and one that He calls his people to pursue. The English definition for excellence is “the quality of being outstanding or extremely good”. The Apostle Paul in this text called the church to pursue excellence in loving those among their community by building them up, with their spiritual gift. Spiritual gifts and strengths are not given to boast and flaunt in or to impress others with. Rather the gifts are given for the purpose of building up others and bringing glory to God through doing so (1 Peter 4:10–11).

The Apostle Paul spent an entire chapter describing and defining what love is so that Corinthians wouldn’t miss the main point of the Christian life. Paul also gave practical ways that the church could use their gift to express love and encourage the Saints. He cast vision for excellence in loving one another. Anyone seeking to grow in exercising their spiritual gifts or natural strengths ought to do so with the aim to love. As Eugene Peterson put it paraphrasing Romans 15:2: “Strength is for service not status”.

Are you using your gifts and strengths to pursue an excellence of status or an excellence in service to those around you?