Earlier this week, I came across a quote by Og Mandino that really struck me:

“Never neglect the little things. Never skimp on that extra effort, that additional few minutes, that soft word of praise or thanks, that delivery of the very best you can do.”

When I read this quote, I immediately thought about the Raving Fans principle of “Deliver Plus One.” This principle teaches us to deliver excellence consistently and then to go beyond that to give people one percent more than they expect. (Those of you who have read my book, Fusion, and who have spent any time with me in seminars are familiar with the book Raving Fans by Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles. If you’ve never read it, add it to your list.)

The Og Mandino quote and the principle of “Deliver Plus One” operate from the same mindset. That is, always go the extra mile.

Church leaders are busy people and we tend to get caught up in the big things. But when we make the conscious effort to take “that additional few minutes” or “deliver the very best” we speak volumes to the on-looking world – many of them skeptics.

Take some time today to think about the little things in your life. Are you delivering the best you can? Are you delivering not only what’s expected, but an extra one percent?

Let’s break it down:

• Do you take the time to deal with small staff concerns?
• Do you mail your first time guests an unexpected free gift?
• Do you serve Starbucks coffee on Sunday mornings rather than Bargainbucks?
• Do you go out of your way to speak a word of encouragement to the people serving?

You may have heard that “the devil is in the details.” I prefer the opposite spin on that saying. I believe that God is in the details. Why? Because it’s the details – the little things in our lives and ministry – that give us the best opportunity to truly reflect the extent of God’s grace and love.

- Nelson