It is said that as the great Michelangelo painted the magnificent frescoes on the ceiling of the Sistine chapel – lying on his back for endless hours to finish every detail with great care – a friend asked him why he took such pains with figures that would be viewed from a considerable distance. “After all,” the friend said, “who will notice whether it is perfect or not?” “I will,” replied the artist.
There are two attitudes here – the attitude of Michelangelo’s friend and that of Michelangelo himself. His friend had an attitude that settles for the easy way out. People who have such attitude are only concerned about doing things to please people and not to achieve their full potential. For such people when there is no one looking, they just do a shoddy work and try to hide it behind a camouflage.
Michelangelo’s attitude on the other hand is the attitude of champions. People who have that attitude do not work just to please people. They work to fulfil their God-given potential. They don’t rest until they can be sure that God is pleased with what they have done. Whether they work behind the scenes or before the public, they strive for excellence. That was the spirit that drove Michelangelo to produce great masterpieces of art that continue to awe the world hundreds of years after his death.
That is the attitude that God wants us to have. The Lord wants us to be mindful that our service and labour is done to bring glory to His name. We must work in such a way that generations after us will be blessed by our legacy.
Lord, give me the wisdom and discipline to do my work to the best of my potential.Scriptural Reading:
Colossians 3:22-25
There are two attitudes here – the attitude of Michelangelo’s friend and that of Michelangelo himself. His friend had an attitude that settles for the easy way out. People who have such attitude are only concerned about doing things to please people and not to achieve their full potential. For such people when there is no one looking, they just do a shoddy work and try to hide it behind a camouflage.
Michelangelo’s attitude on the other hand is the attitude of champions. People who have that attitude do not work just to please people. They work to fulfil their God-given potential. They don’t rest until they can be sure that God is pleased with what they have done. Whether they work behind the scenes or before the public, they strive for excellence. That was the spirit that drove Michelangelo to produce great masterpieces of art that continue to awe the world hundreds of years after his death.
That is the attitude that God wants us to have. The Lord wants us to be mindful that our service and labour is done to bring glory to His name. We must work in such a way that generations after us will be blessed by our legacy.
Prayer:
Lord, give me the wisdom and discipline to do my work to the best of my potential.Scriptural Reading:
Colossians 3:22-25
