I was wandering around the Nampo Expo. I was speechless. I was so impressed by the huge tractors and all the things that man can manufacture. I’m mad about processes and saw machinery making Ghost pops from a handful of powder until the product, neatly packaged, pops into your hand. I looked at the beautiful cattle prancing around majestically in their pen. Two days are simply not enough to see and enjoy everything.

But there was an old man with this messy stall that really touched me. He was a retired air force engineer. He made things that worked. One thing he made was a tester that you fitted to your car or trailer to test whether the lights and sockets were working.

My friend, who owns a trailer hire business, immediately bought one, because then they no longer had to get a car to check whether the lights were working.

But it didn’t end there. The device came with a long power cable. So, he welded a special device to roll it up and keep it from getting tangled when stored.

But there’s more! The device is fairly heavy. So, it’s neatly packed in a wine box with rope wrapped around it. He realised that they would have to carry the box to their cars, so he cut a piece of pipe, threaded the rope through it and made a handle so that the rope won’t hurt your hands.

This man did his work well. He thought it through. He went to a lot of trouble. He walked the extra mile. Good. Better. Best. I think he feels compelled to give his clients the best. I hope there will always be humans like him.

When Paul told Titus how the older women had to guide and help the younger women, he used the word “good”: ⁵… be virtuous and pure, keep a good house, be good wives.

The young women had to be good housewives. They had to create a home that would draw the family closer together. A safe harbour. A space where everybody could be themselves, but can also learn how to live life. But even more, a place where they can learn about God, so that it will be easy for them to meet God later on.

My mother was like that. My mother did her job well. No, she did it better than that. She did her best.

In the same way we have to do what we do well. Whether it’s bringing up children, or studying at school or university, we must do everything well. Where we work, we must do our work well so that others can see how it should be done. To do things as children of God usually means that we do it better than others, because we do the best we can. We give our all.

The word excellent comes to mind when I think of the man at the farmers’ day. If we really want to do our work on earth well, it must show excellence. Yes, let people see Jesus in our works, because everything we do is better, best, excellent.

Scripture
Titus 2:1-5

Reflection
Where do you have to do better?
How can you do it better?
Is there someone you can ask to help you?

Prayer
Lord, please help me not to think only about my own comfort, but also about how my actions influence others and the testimony that I live. Please help me to give only my best, also in the things I enjoy not so much, so that my life will glorify You. Amen.