Pursuit of Excellence

There once was a park renowned for its serene beauty. At the park’s heart is a quaint garden bordered by a once-proud wooden fence. Now, the fence is worn down, with broken slats, peeling paint, and a sagging gate that creaked with every gust of wind. Despite its condition, the fence was ignored, becoming a familiar yet unsightly part of the landscape.

For weeks, the fence stood in disrepair. Visitors noticed its poor condition and often remarked on how unfortunate it was for such a beautiful park to have such an eyesore.

“Someone should fix that,” a couple remarked as they strolled by, shaking their heads in disappointment.

“It’s a shame,” another visitor said to his friend. “This park deserves better.”

Despite these comments, no one took action. People assumed it was someone else’s responsibility, and the broken fence became another part of the scenery.

Mr. Thompson, the elderly gardener, loved the park and tended to its flowers and plants. However, the fence was beyond his expertise, and he felt helpless watching it deteriorate. He often overheard park-goers discussing the fence.

One afternoon, he listened as a young girl asked her grandfather, “Why is the fence broken?”

Her grandfather replied, sighing, “Sometimes people don’t want to make the effort to fix things.”

These words struck a chord with Mr. Thompson. He realized the broken fence was more than a physical barrier—it symbolized apathy and missed opportunities. Despite his desire to restore the fence, he knew he couldn’t do it alone, and without help, the task seemed impossible.

The fence continued to deteriorate as the days turned into weeks and months. The garden, once a place of beauty and pride, became overshadowed by neglect.

Visitors began to notice the garden less and less, their eyes drawn instead to the fence that reminded them of missed opportunities. Once vibrant and alive with the energy of people who cared, the park slowly lost its charm as the community’s apathy spread to other areas.

The broken fence left unfixed, taught a different lesson—one of the missed opportunities and the consequences of inaction. It showed how neglect could erode beauty and potential and how a lack of initiative could lead to disappointment.

Exodus 35:30 – 36:7 tells the story of the construction of the Tabernacle, a dwelling place for God’s presence among the Israelites.

Then Moses said to the Israelites, “See, the Lord has chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills— to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver, and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood and to engage in all kinds of artistic crafts. And he has given both him and Oholiab son of Ahisamak, of the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach others. He has filled them with skill to do all kinds of work as engravers, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen, and weavers—all of them skilled workers and designers. So Bezalel, Oholiab and every skilled person to whom the Lord has given skill and ability to know how to carry out all the work of constructing the sanctuary are to do the work just as the Lord has commanded.”

Then Moses summoned Bezalel and Oholiab and every skilled person to whom the Lord had given ability and who was willing to come and do the work. They received from Moses all the offerings the Israelites had brought to carry out the work of constructing the sanctuary. And the people continued to bring freewill offerings morning after morning. So all the skilled workers who were doing all the work on the sanctuary left what they were doing and said to Moses, “The people are bringing more than enough for doing the work the Lord commanded to be done.”

In this passage, we see Bezalel and Oholiab, two artisans filled with wisdom, understanding, and skills given by God to build the Tabernacle. Their work was about completing a task and creating something that honored God.

These craftsmen did their work excellently, paying attention to every detail, and their example inspired others to contribute. They didn’t just build; they built with a purpose, putting their best into every element of the Tabernacle because they were serving God.

The story of Bezalel and Oholiab teaches us that pursuing excellence is not just about doing a good job; it’s about honoring God with our talents and resources. It’s about putting our best into everything we do, no matter how big or small the task may be.