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Wolfgang Mozart was an Austrian composer who lived in the 18^th century. In his short life, he composed over 800 works. When a boy, he was considered a child prodigy, a young man with unusual and exceptional skill. In 1763, when Mozart was seven years old, King Louis XV asked him to play the organ. The time was set for the next day but the king could not wait. Everyone followed the king as he marched to the Royal Chapel to hear the Mozart play. The king was astounded by the beautiful music that came from the young boy.

Though Mozart was not a Christian, he still reflected the truth of Proverbs 22:29. “Do you see a man skilful in his work, he will stand before kings, he will not stand before obscure men.”

We serve an excellent God. Everything He is and does is marked by excellence. God is perfect, meaning he lacks no excellence. God is beautiful, which shows his excellence. 

Excellence is the quality of being very good. Excellence towers above the rest and is superior and extraordinary in a special way. Excellence delivers quality work. Jesus is the greatest example of excellence but there are others that model this trait well, like King David. 

Consider the following five observations from David’s life that illustrate how parents should teach their children excellence. 

Teach Your Children Fine Skills

According to 1 Samuel 18:17, not only could David play, he could “play well”. He was “skilful in playing”. 

Children should never rely on their name or upbringing to impress others. This makes me think of the son of former Zimbabwe dictator, Robert Mugabe. He once took a video of himself pouring thousands of dollars’ worth of champagne over his diamond-encrusted watch. He had no talent to offer, only his surname. Others were creators. He was only a destroyer.

Parents must teach their children to discipline themselves to develop talent. Don’t cut corners. Don’t “get by”. This will lead to leadership opportunities. People often follow others if that person is better than them at something. This isn’t easy. It takes time. It takes effort. David must have spent many days crafting this skill. 

Teach Your Children to Make Their Skills Obvious to Others

A young man recommended David. This is significant because David was also a young man. Young men are often in competition with one another. There is often jealousy between them. David must have been humble enough and skilled enough that this young man could confidently recommend him. 

As Proverbs 22:29 teaches, those with excellence are not obscure and hidden for long. Others will notice them. Leaders of excellence rise to the top so that people want to follow and recommend them. Leaders don’t put themselves forward (1Sm. 18:5). They don’t “put themselves out there”, “market themselves” or “sell their brand”. If your children are gifted, people will take notice and often put them forward.

Young men should put their time into developing their character and skills. Leave the open doors and opportunities and promotions to others and God’s timing. David did this and people took note of him.

“The commanders of the Philistines came out to battle, and as often as they came out David had more success than all the servants of Saul, so that his name was highly esteemed” (1Sm. 18:30). 

Teach Your Children to Accompany Their Talent with Other Skills

David wasn’t one-dimensional. He wasn’t a one-trick pony. He was like the teacher at school who could lecture on math, science, history, geography, English and French. 

David was well-rounded. Yes, he was skilled in music. But we’re also told he was a “man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech and a man of good presence, and the Lord was with him” (v. 18). 

It is rare to find people with great skill and great character. How many great Presidents were also great husbands and fathers? How many great musicians have also been great “men of war”? How many great athletes are also great Christians?

But David was well-rounded. Scripture says he was valorous and a man of war. He was prudent in speech and a man of good presence. People knew when he had entered the room because of the way he carried himself.

Teach Your Children the Rewards That Come from Excellence

People will pay high prices for those that do excellent work. This is difficult to find. David was so gifted and so full of character, that it appears his temporary residence with Saul quickly moved to full-time.

Eventually, Saul asked David’s father for permission for David to stay at the palace. David was too gifted to lose.

Men should make themselves so valuable that others can’t resist them. “Let David remain in my service, for he has found favor in my sight” (v. 22). 

However, parents must remember to teach their children to do right, even if promotion doesn’t come. Later on, David was demoted (18:13) because he became a threat to the king (18:15). But David became a great leader because he masterfully combined exceptional skill with a well-rounded character. 

Teach Your Children to Seek Excellence in All Areas of Life

Children should pursue excellence in beauty, such as the way they hang a portrait. Children should pursue excellence in writing, such as the way they insert margins in their term papers. Children should pursue excellence in time, such as arriving early to church and work and “fashionably late”  to the dinner party. Children should pursue excellence in their clothing, such as the way they iron their clothes. Benjamin Franklin once said that we eat for ourselves and we dress for others. So dress in a way that doesn’t offend your hosts. 

Conclusion

Parents should teach their children to deliver quality work and influence others to do the same and the Lord will reward them for their efforts.