Street Sweeper

"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, whatever is excellent..." (Philippians 4:8)





A few quotes about "excellence":

"If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as a Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, 'Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.'"
― Martin Luther King Jr.

"My meaning simply is, that whatever I have tried to do in life, I have tried with all my heart to do well; that whatever I have devoted myself to, I have devoted myself to completely; that in great aims and in small, I have always been thoroughly in earnest."
― Charles Dickens, David Copperfield

"If you don't have time to do it right, when will you have the time to do it over?"
― John Wooden

Excellence. Excellent. That which is done well.

The Apostle Paul was writing to the church of Corinth - a really messed up church - when he wrote, "But eagerly desire the greater gifts. And now I will show you the most excellent way." And what was that excellent way? "If I speak in the tongues of angels, but have not...love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal."

Paul would go on to describe the use of other gifts used in serving others but the only way in which that service is done well, is done with excellence, is through its motivation. It wasn't that a person had a higher capability. It wasn't that a person had more knowledge. It wasn't that his or her service made a greater impact. It was simply that which was motivated by love.

Mother Theresa said, "Not all of us can do great things, but we can do small things with great love." She also said, "Love begins in the home, and it is not how much we do...but how much love is in the action."

Whatever is excellent...actions filled with love...think on these things.

Oh, that God would say of me, "Here lived a great man because he loved."

Now where's that darn broom?