Free Kingdom Woman: Embracing Your Purpose, Power, and Possibilities by Tony Evans, Chrystal Evans Hurst Page B

be that way, she will reply, “Because of that day.”
    “That day” is her reference to the day that she expects to stand before Jesus and the day He will test the quality of her work. The truth is that we all will face “that day,” and if the service we have offered Him is excellent, we will hear those blessed words, “Well done, good and faithful servant. . . . Enter into the joy of your master” (Matthew 25:23, ESV ).
    I want to hear those words. I want what I do and what I have done to make Jesus smile on that day. A life of excellence isn’t easy. There aren’t always accolades, especially when you choose to make important the things that are important to the Lord. But there will be one very meaningful accolade on “that day.”
    Where does the Lord prick your heart to do more, go further, or raise the bar? While my challenge is in the grind of motherhood, it is not the only place where excellence in womanhood is required. On your job, are you content to keep the status quo or do you go the extra mile in your daily responsibilities? In your appearance, are you satisfied with the way you are, or are you aiming to be healthier? Do you do the best you can with what you have to represent your Savior when you step out the door? What about your marriage? Are you settling for a comfortable coexistence with your husband, or do you put your best foot forward in an effort to have a heavenly marriage here on earth? If you desire marriage and are waiting on God to answer the desire of your heart, what are you doing with your time? Are you using your time for His glory, or are you merely marking time or wondering how much longer your biological clock will tick? While you wait on a mate, are you seizingevery opportunity God brings to use your time, talents, and resources to further the kingdom? That question is not just for the single woman; it is for the retired woman, the content woman, or the woman who feels that she has arrived.
    “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Corinthians 3:18, KJV ). Excellence on earth is not a destination; it is a continual process of transformation into who God wants us to be. The excellence He desires from us is not a level of superiority or distinction that we can achieve on our own either. Our treasure is not in our “earthen vessels,” but it is in the excellence of His power in us (2 Corinthians 4:7, KJV ).
    Excellent is what we will be when we are made perfect in the next life. However, in the meantime, our job is to strive for the excellence the Father has revealed to us in the season of life that we are in, in the context of our lives right now. And as we commit to pursue this life, the life of an excellent woman, the Father transforms us into the likeness of His Son.
    Psalm 16:11 says, “You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” Choosing excellence now is to choose the fruit of joy and pleasure in days to come.
    When we choose excellence, God gets the glory.
    When we choose excellence, we benefit from walking in the fullness of His joy on earth and investing in the pleasures of eternity in heaven.
    So, my friend, choose the excellent way. And do so not for the reasons that you can see but for the things which are not seen and that are eternal (2 Corinthians 4:18).

    Full Destiny
    To be excellent is to be more than just one of the crowd. It is to live in a way that sets you apart as special and unique. Just as Chrystal said and Phoebe lived her life, what you do and how you do it draws the attention of others tothe glory of God. Like Ruth, it positions you into the fullest manifestation of your destiny. You’ll never be excellent if you make the world your standard. A kingdom woman knows her true value and shows the reflection of how God sees her. She