TITLE: THE EXCELLENT SPIRIT/A study on Daniel
PUBLISHER: Abundant Life Publications
PAGINATION: 98
AUTHOR: Rev.Dr. Jane Onaolapo
REVIEWER: Ladi Ayodeji
Ifanything is lacking in Nigeria today, it isthe spirit of Excellence. Everywhere you go, you see mediocrity and its many by-products at work. Youwould be lucky to find someone who can perform optimally and deliver top of the line products and services, in an honest and sincere manner.
Excellence is the insignia of champions. Without it you’d be a loserand would amount to nothing.You can’t be celebrated because you add no value and contribute nothing worthwhile. That’s the message the author of the Spirit of Excellence (A case study on Daniel),Rev. (Dr)Jane Onaolapo has delivered for her readers.
Since Daniel is a Bible character, in fact one of the major prophets, you would have to read the entire book named after him in the Bible to fully appreciate his gifts and his demonstrations of a spirit of excellence. Let’s also put things in perspective. Having an excellent spirit goes beyond scoring first in a competition. Itsbroader definition includes transparency, handwork, brilliance, principle, good morals, and any other quality that is noble.
In several faith-inspiring nuggets delivered in three short chapters, the author, quoting profusely from the book of Daniel, gave us different dimensions of excellence. Eventhough Dr. Onaolapo targets the Christian audience, her admonitions are relevant to everyone. She writes in the opening paragraph: “Everyone that runs a race runs to get the prize. The prize only comes at the point of excellence, and only the one who excels in the race gets it.”
The author reminds us that as the world has become a global village, we are no longer judged by local standards. So, everyone must raise their bar, and try to shatter their glass ceiling. Even in Bible times, Daniel, one of the four Hebrew men in Babylon in the days of captivity, demonstrated a spirit of excellencethrough his impeccable character.
One of the many lessons in the life of Daniel is that, character is of essence in the life of any individual. To achieve anything of substance, you must have characterand a good one too. It is a component of aspirit of excellence.
Lack of good character is the bane of manyChristians, even when they are already in Christ, according to Dr. Onaolapo, a role model for Christian women. Without integrity no one can have an excellent spirit. This point runs through the book and the exemplary life of Daniel is held up as a mirror.
The heart of the book is in chapter two where the author lists ten attributes of an excellent spirit. Among them, she writes that those with an excellent spirit are always sought after, are blessed, stand before kings; are problem solvers, very reliable, skillful or talented, and prayerful. We see all of these traits and more in Daniel as well as others who have a spirit of excellence.
In the third and final chapter, the author lists seven other attributes for everyone who intends to develop an excellent spirit. All of these revolve around integrity. The book is quite relevant for these times when compromise is on the increase in our society particularly and in the world generally.
Though character development is not often taught in the pulpit, this book is a good manual on this crucial subject. This is because the appalling character flaws of many Christians naturally call to question the validity of the Christian faith.
In closing, let’s read the author’s summary:“In this book, Daniel has been used to typify how the excellent spirit can manifest in the human life and how we can emulate him all the way. The good news is, there are innumerable rewards for every manifestation of excellence both in heaven and on earth, only if you choose to be excellent!”
Dr. Onaolapo’s latest work offers a food for thought and I do not hesitate to recommend it to readers across the religious spectrum.