08/07/2026
I once served as a senior leader in one of the largest organizations, where I was regarded as a high-performing executive. Many assumed I left because I wanted to pursue entrepreneurship, but that was not the primary reason.
I made that decision because my career was beginning to compete with the vision I had for my family. I realized that beyond ambition, achievements, and personal aspirations, there is a greater purpose in God. Habakkuk 2 reminds us to stand upon our watch, wait before the Lord, and listen for His instructions.
We are not merely followers of God; we are co-labourers with Him. The shift from religion to true revival happens when believers see themselves as partners with God in fulfilling His purposes on the earth.
To walk in the spirit of excellence, there are critical shifts that must take place in our lives. The journey begins with maturity, progresses to mastery, and ultimately leads to majesty. God is looking for believers who are yielded vessels, equipped to represent Him with excellence.
I have had the privilege of developing policy blueprints for international organizations that are now being implemented, and the inspiration for those ideas came directly from the book of Zechariah.
This demonstrates that God's Word is not only spiritual but also provides wisdom for solving real-world problems. Proverbs 8 reminds us that wisdom is calling, yet many believers fail to pursue it diligently. The move of God's Spirit cannot find full expression through people who neglect growth, wisdom, and competence.
If you believe the prophecies God has spoken over your life, you must also embrace the proficiency required to walk in them. Promotion is not sustained by loyalty, longevity, or simply being pleasant to your employer.
In many professional settings, competence is the key qualification for greater responsibility. Wisdom is the practical ability to interpret value and apply it in decision-making.
As believers, we are called to reverse the narrative that the children of this world are wiser than the children of light.
Too often, Christians are absent from spaces where influence is needed because they fail to develop professionally or become overly occupied without intentional growth. Let your light shine in your workplace so that people will see your excellence and glorify God.
The Kingdom of God must not remain within the walls of the church; it must influence every sphere of society. If you carry Kingdom values, infiltrate the marketplace with God's principles.
Jesus illustrated this in the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14–30), teaching the principle of utility. Every believer has been entrusted with gifts, abilities, and resources that are meant to produce value.
In that context, talents represented both economic resources and personal gifting. Do not bury what God has placed in your hands. Identify your strengths, develop them with excellence, and use them boldly in your profession.
When believers combine spiritual depth with competence, they become powerful instruments for advancing God's Kingdom in every sphere of influence.
Culled from the Sermon: THE SPIRIT OF EXCELLENCE by Debola Deji Kurunmi
