WHY NOT?

Admiral Hyman G. Rickover of the U.S. Navy was legendary for his interviews and found ways to cut through the superficial and rehearsed answers to get a look at the person underneath. He especially wanted to know how candidates would act under stress. During interviews, Admiral Rickover would have candidates sit in a chair with the front legs sawed off an inch or two shorter than the back, to keep them off-balance.

In his autobiography Why Not the Best?, President Jimmy Carter tells about his Rickover interview.  The Admiral asked Carter’s ranking in his class at the Naval Academy. As President Carter explained, “I swelled my chest with pride and answered, ‘Sir, I stood 59th in a class of 820!’ Carter sat back to wait for the congratulations. Instead came the question: ‘Did you do your best?’ Carter started to say, ‘Yes, sir,’ but remembered who this was. Carter gulped and admitted, ‘No, sir, I didn’t always do my best.’ Admiral Rickover looked at Carter for a long time, and asked one final question, which Carter never forgot and was not able to answer. Rickover asked, ‘Why not?”

Philippians 3:12-14 (NIV):  ¹² Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. ¹³ Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, ¹⁴ I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:12-14 The Message (MSG):  ^12-14 I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back.

These verses show that God wants His people to excel in both what they are (inward character) and in what they do. So, why not pursue of excellence in all we do all the time?  Remember this…..”The pursuit of excellence is gratifying and healthy. The pursuit of perfection is frustrating, neurotic, and a terrible waste of time.” Knowing this, we want to pursue our goals, our jobs with excellence.

Excellence:  greatness — the very best

Perfection:  excellent or complete beyond practical or theoretical improvement

“Success means being the best. Excellence means being your best. Success, to many, means being better than everyone else. Excellence means being better tomorrow than you were yesterday. Success means exceeding the achievements of other people. Excellence means matching your practice with your potential.” Brian Harbour--Rising Above the Crowd.

Why not?  Why not strive to always do your best? We can make excuses of why we can’t or why we didn’t?  But think about facing Admiral Rickover and answer the question--”Why not?”

“If a task is worthy of our attention, it is worthy of our best.”