It’s one of those questions that can take you by surprise in that conventional church culture puts a lot of emphasis on who we are apart from Christ.

Many of the sermons and a lot of the Praise and Worship we sing focus more on the insufficiency of the believer rather than the all sufficiency of God. As a result, the inclination is to process one’s relationship with Jesus as something that comes to bear primarily in the context of a crisis rather than a Resource that’s poised to positively impact every play you deploy on the field rather than something that only applies when you’re on the sidelines.

You are more than your wounds and better than your sin. Not because of who you are but because of Who Christ is in you. To restrict Christ’s Influence to crisis situations only is to overlook both the Attitude and the Ability He’s given you to excel and not just endure.

Bear in mind, when God says, “excel,” He’s talking about all things at all times (2 Cor 9:8). That includes your performance at work, the way you love the people you care about, the way you work out, even the way you mow your lawn.

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Col 3:17)

Do you smell that that? That’s the aroma of excellence!

You want to reek of excellence.

Being a Christian gives you an edge. Your work ethic, your decision making, your career, your role as a husband and a father – all of these tasks and responsibilities become opportunities to excel when you’re deploying the mind of Christ (1 Cor 2:16) and the Power of God (Phil 2:13; Col 1:29).

And when you’re doing it right, you’re not just a profound statement plastered on a billboard, you are genuinely…

…eye catching.

Joseph was eye catching (Gen 41:37-38), David was eye catching (1 Sam 16:6-13), Paul was a brilliant Pharisee (Acts 22:3; Phil 3:5), a Roman citizen (Acts 22:28) and a follower of Christ. His religious training, his intellect and his citizenship combined to make him…

…eye catching.

Look at Matthew 5:16:

¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matt 5:16)

And here’s the thing: You’re not “eye catching” simply because of the talent and accomplishments that can be seen on the surface. You’re lighting up every room you walk into because of the Purpose, Peace, and Power that characterizes your approach to every moment of your life.

My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. ¹⁶ Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. (Ps 139:15-16)

Life isn’t just a random sequence of events that have no real meaning apart from however you’re inclined to respond in that moment. 

When you’re looking at your world and seeing it as something God intended, your circumstance is now infused with a sense of Divine Purpose. The situation itself is no different than it was a split second ago, but you’re now looking at it through the lens of God’s Sovereignty.

• What was trivial is now significant (Rom 8:28)
• What was nerve wracking is now calm (Is 26:3)
• What was prideful is now humble (Phil 2:13)
• What was doubtful is now possible (Lk 1:27)
• What was despairing is now optimistic (Ps 42:5)

Every question mark is now replaced with an exclamation point in that while you can’t see what the future holds, you know Who holds the future. And with that sense of certainty comes a confidence and a Strength that manifests itself as a stable disposition (Is 26:3), a cheerful demeanor (1 Thess 5:16-18), a solid work ethic (Col 3:23) and a consistent performer (Phil 2:13).

You reek of excellence. And people who reek of excellence tend to be the kind of people you enjoy hanging out with because their joy and their energy is infectious and that makes a conversation about the hope that you have not only more likely, but also more compelling.

In this series, we talked about your Billboard and how you would promote a relationship with Christ in a way that included more than just what happens after you pass away. We talked about how you want to “pray big,” how it’s “all good” and we concluded with how you want to “reek of excellence.” 

While all of these things can benefit you in some very practical ways, what makes them so powerful is how they benefit others as well and ultimately point them in the direction of their Heavenly Father.

And that is the true purpose of our Billboard!