This summer at the World Cup, we’ll see athletes from around the world performing at a high level. International competitions celebrate excellence. But as some teams advance from one round to the next, others head home. These events tend to reinforce the idea of winners and losers.
Is there a higher view of excellence we can take? When we look at Bible verses about excellence, we quickly find that many connect to God and His nature. We start to glimpse that excellence isn’t about being the best, it’s about expressing God’s greatness as only we can. We can express excellence not just in what we do, but in how we do it. Qualities like perseverance, integrity, and joy are just as important as our technical abilities, however masterful they may be.
What Does the Bible Say About Excellence?
Many Bible verses about excellence describe God, His word, or His name (another word for his nature). The book of Psalms includes several passages that describe the Lord as “excellent”:
O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens.
Psalms 8:1
Since God is infinite Spirit, the great “I am,” and the creator of the universe, it feels appropriate to refer to God in such high terms. The Bible also describes us as created in God’s image and likeness, the reflection of God. If She is excellent, we reflect that excellence.
Later in the Bible, we find a reference to excellence relating to a person. Daniel is described as having “an excellent spirit” (Daniel 6:3). This description of Daniel is likely connected to his depiction as a devout man with an unwavering loyalty to God. Though his faith was tested by the ruler of the time, King Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel stayed true to his beliefs. And though he achieved great feats, like surviving the lion’s den unharmed, he always gave credit to God as the source of his strength. As Daniel’s example shows, our individual excellence comes from God’s excellence.
The Source of True Excellence
As we dig deeper into Bible verses about excellence, we start to see that greatness isn’t about our personal talent or ego, or about making ourselves better. It’s about recognizing God as the most excellent, the source behind our unique expression of His qualities. The Bible refers to God as giving us a holy purpose. When we understand that our purpose comes from God, we start to see that our purpose isn’t to perform for human approval. Rather, it’s to fulfill our role as God’s beloved child.
And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;
Colossians 3:23
Mary Baker Eddy, the discoverer and founder of Christian Science, also wrote about excellence as coming from one source:
and so let us have one God, one Mind, and that one perfect, producing His own models of excellence.
Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, p. 249:1
Since everyone’s excellence comes from the same place, we start to see that we’re never competing with others to be the best. And we never need to compare ourselves with others to see how we measure up. We’re all expressing God’s infinite good as only we can.
Doing Everything for the Glory of God
Why do we seek to achieve at a high level? For our own satisfaction? Or the admiration of others? Taking a spiritual view of excellence, we can start to find deeper motives. Seeing our infinite potential as children of God, we can do everything for God’s glory, rather than praise or personal gain. When we set our aim on pleasing God, we can experience the strength of Spirit guiding us.
The Apostle Paul even used athletic competition to describe spiritual living: “Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain” (1 Corinthians 9:24). His point isn’t about defeating others, but about wholehearted dedication and purpose.
One of the world’s top performers, NBA player Steph Curry, finds inspiration from Bible verses about excellence. When Curry was playing basketball in college, his mother encouraged him to find a Bible verse to be a source of strength during challenging times on the court. He found Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Curry continues to use this quote to remind himself of his purpose in playing basketball — to play for God’s glory.
These Bible verses about excellence remind us that our purpose is not to impress others, but to glorify God.
Seeing Excellence in Ourselves and Others
We can express excellence not just in what we do, but in how we do it. Excellence isn’t just something we can cherish for ourselves; we can also recognize it in others. As we cultivate respect for those around us — even our competitors — we can find joy in others’ success.
We may encounter others trying to undermine our own success. But since fairness is a principle for all of us, we can expect honest interactions. We can be a witness to the good work and actions of others, seeing God’s qualities expressed in everyone.
Conclusion
The Bible verses about excellence we’ve looked at show us that true excellence is not about defeating others, but about expressing God’s nature. All the qualities we could ever express — strength, endurance, agility, patience, and humility — come from God and shine through us. How excellent is that?
Resources
- Join our World Cup Prayer Watch where we pray for unity and peace among World Cup athletes, international visitors, and SoCal host communities, and share inspiration.
