Text:              Jeremiah 1:5-8, 1 Thessalonian 4:1

By:                Ezekiel, Oghenekaro

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Mediocrity sees difficulty in every opportunity. Greatness sees opportunity in every difficulty. (Winston Churchill). The truth is that nobody wants to be called mediocre.  Yet, we are surrounded by mediocrity.  It is in our communities, it is in our schools, you can find it in the places we shop, it is in our government agencies and even in our own business, it is in our congregation.  The bad news is, it is contagious. Look at the people that you associate with. What do they have you thinking?  Where do they have you going?  What do they have you reading?  What do they have you becoming?

When I speak of mediocrity, I am referring to the attitude of half-hearted effort. It might not be outright laziness, but it is a mentality that feels comfortable in giving forth something less than our very best. It is the “do what it takes to get by” or “that’s good enough” or “whatever” way of thinking. It is a state of living that becomes content with a mindset of failure.

The “commitment to excellence” in our personal lives is rapidly decreasing because of the mediocre mindset.

Mediocrity is not something that is forced upon us; we bring it on ourselves.  The fact is negative habits produce negative results.  Mediocrity does not happen to us; it is created by us.  Mediocrity slips in when there is lack of accountability, lack of candid feedback, lack of commitment, lack of competition (healthy competition) or lacklustre leadership. The good news is there is a cure.

Have you ever had a parent, coach, teacher, or boss who pushed you to your limits?  The odds are that you resented them, and you may even have mumbled under your breath.  The truth is, they gave you the gift of a lifetime.  They were simply trying to mould you into a strong, confident, and productive person.  Someone who will have the potential to achieve anything you desire — as long as you work hard and put your mind to it.  It was an investment in you that should have resulted in a DNA transfusion and a hunger for excellence. 

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew^[a] you,  before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” ⁶ “Alas, Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am too young.” Jeremiah 1:5-6.

Leaders are to be the people that set the guideposts that lead to excellence.  They are the ones that set the example by their behaviour and give the advice necessary to snap us out of mediocracy.  Remember, EVERYTHING RISES AND FALLS ON LEADERSHIP.

Oftentimes we exercise tacit approval in the behaviours of ourselves and/or our teams without even being aware of it.  The word tacit means “expressed without words or speech; implied or indicated but not actually expressed.”  It represents silent consent and acceptance.  In our workplaces, tacit approval is given whenever a manager fails to speak out about existing conditions.  Tacit approval leads everyone to assume that the status quo is acceptable, will be tolerated and allowed to continue.  From walking over litter in the parking lot, to showing up late etc.  All through your workday, if you are not performing at your best or when there are no consequences for mediocre behaviour, you can easily be lulled into a false sense of security — believing that mediocrity does not matter.  It Matters!

The apostle Paul in one of his early letters wrote to the church in Thessalonica. The church was a good church and were for the most part doing well in their spiritual lives. He encouraged them on many accounts, but despite their spiritual success, twice in chapter 4 of 1 Thessalonians he admonished them to “excel still more” (1 Thes. 4:1, 10). Specifically, he said, “Finally then, brothers, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel still more” (1 Thes. 4:1).

Why? “Excel” is a short word for “excellence.” Our God expects among His creation, excellence. Of course, we all have different abilities, we all make mistakes. But overall, there should be an attitude of putting forth our best effort with a sincere desire to keep improving in all aspects of our lives. So, are we settling for mediocrity or are we pursuing excellence?

Our God is a God of excellence –Exodus 15:7. As God is excellent, there is no doubt that people created in His image should pursue excellence as well. We have all been given talents and energy and creativity and bodies and minds to be used for His glory. And if this is true for all people, how much does it ring truer for the believer? We know God personally. He dwells within us. We have spiritual gifts. We are motivated and energized by the Holy Spirit. 1 Peter 2:9, 2 Peter 1:3, 2 Peter 1:5, Philippians 4:8.

The Parable of the Oranges

There was a young man who had ambitions to work for a company because it paid very well and was very prestigious. He prepared his CV and had several interviews.

Eventually, he was given an entry-level position. Then he turned his ambition to his next goal—a supervisor position that would afford him even greater prestige and more pay.

So, he completed the tasks he was given. He came in early some mornings and stayed late so the boss would see him putting in long hours. After five years a supervisor position became available. But, to the young man’s great dismay, another employee, who had only worked for the company for six months, was given the promotion. The young man was very angry, and he went to his boss and demanded an explanation.

The wise boss said, “Before I answer your questions, would you do a favor for me?” “Yes, sure,” said the employee. “Would you go to the store and buy some oranges? My wife needs them.” The young man agreed and went to the store. When he returned, the boss asked, “What kind of oranges did you buy?” “I don’t know,” the young man answered. “You just said to buy oranges, and these are oranges. Here they are.” “How much did they cost?” the boss asked. “Well, I’m not sure,” was the reply. “You gave me $30. Here is your receipt, and here is your change. “Thank you,” said the boss. “Now, please have a seat and pay careful attention.”

Then the boss called in the employee who had received the promotion and asked him to do the same job. He readily agreed and went to the store. When he returned, the boss asked, “What kind of oranges did you buy?” 

“Well,” he replied, “The store had many varieties—there were navel oranges, Valencia oranges, blood oranges, tangerines, and many others, and I didn’t know which kind to buy. But I remembered you said your wife needed the oranges, so I called her. She said she was having a party and that she was going to make orange juice. So I asked the grocer which of all these oranges would make the best orange juice. He said the Valencia orange was full of very sweet juice, so that’s what I bought. I dropped them by your home on my way back to the office. Your wife was very pleased.”

“How much did they cost?” the boss asked. “Well, that was another problem. I didn’t know how many to buy, so I once again called your wife and asked her how many guests she was expecting. She said 20. I asked the grocer how many oranges would be needed to make juice for 20 people, and it was a lot. So, I asked the grocer if he could give me a quantity discount, and he did! These oranges normally cost 75 cents each, but I paid only 50 cents. Here is your change and the receipt.” The boss smiled and said, “Thank you; you may go.”

He looked over at the young man who had been watching. The young man stood up, slumped his shoulders and said, “I see what you mean,” as he walked dejectedly out of the office.

What was the difference between these two young men?

They were both asked to buy oranges, and they did. You might say that one went the extra mile, or one was more efficient, or one paid more attention to detail. But the most important difference had to do with real intent rather than just going through the motions. The first young man was motivated by money, position, and prestige. The second young man was driven by an intense desire to please his employer and an inner commitment to be the best employee he could possibly be—and the outcome was obvious. (Excerpt from: “Living with a Purpose: The Importance of ‘Real Intent.’”, Randall L. Ridd). 

Some lies mediocrities tell themselves

Do you want to live a life of excellence? Let me share with you Lies mediocre tell themselves, which keep them at the bottom of the ladder. If you want to climb to the top in life, you must shun mediocrity and pursue excellence.

1. I am trying my best, God knows. The truth is you can do better than what you regard as your best at the moment.
2. This is how everybody does it. I am not the only one. That is why you’re getting the same result they’re getting. If you want to get a better result than what they have, do something positively different though it may place more demand on you. You’ll, all the same, find it more rewarding.
3. It is not my fault; I did my own part. A mediocre person always transfers responsibility for non-performance. Accept responsibility for your life. If you had made it, would you have given the credit to those you are blaming now? Stop passing the buck. Don’t behave as Eve and Adam did (Genesis 3:9-13).
4. This is the best anybody can do. Who told you that? That is not true – it can be better. Stretch yourself mentally and physically and you will be surprised at the great possibilities you have not explored.
5. After all, I’m still better than some people; some people’s performances are worse than mine; others aren’t as good as mine. Stop comparing yourself with others; face your life. Comparison isn’t a mark of wisdom, but foolishness (2 Corinthians 10:12).
6. I wish you were in my shoes, you don’t know what I went through to achieve this. Nevertheless, what you’ve achieved is still a mediocre performance. Who cares what you went through if the product at the end of the day is not good enough? Everybody wears his own shoes; they’re your size, wear yours! Such an attitude will keep you as an average person.
7. This is the way we’ve always been doing it. That is why you’ve been getting the same poor result. Who says it can’t be done another way? Rules should be a guide and not become chains. Rules should be broken if they hinder the realization of goals; they should not become sacrosanct like the Ten Commandments. Even Jesus in fulfilling the Ten Commandments interpreted it in relation to God’s love for humanity.
8. I was the one doing this thing when we first started, I built this, I did that, but now he has dumped me because I’m not from his tribe, country, etc. and because he has found new people.

Most times, that is not the reason. It is true that you did all you said when you started, but you’ve refused to improve over the years. You can not keep doing it the way you were doing it five years ago. Your present level of performance was good for what you were doing five years ago but not today. You have refused to improve your performance. You have remained stagnant while the organization is moving forward. You can’t hold the organization to ransom with your past contributions. You were not the only one that contributed. Do not bring in tribal sentiments. If your tribal affiliation did not work against you then, how do you think it should work against you now?

The Way Out

• We Need to Change Our Mindset
• Plan your work and work your plan.
• Set S.M.A.R.T (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time bound). goals and then go get them.
• Never let good enough be good enough. Be relentless.

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