Toward the end of the twentieth century a rather popular perception arose among analysts of human and professional conduct in life and business. It was dubbed the Value Added factor. When something is done, even if done quite well, is there something more that might be done to make it even better? This extra effort, this additional factor creates a higher elevation of thinking, of appreciation, even holding lasting value. What was affirmed as excellent seems now to be superior. Commonly the rating system for many factors of study includes this perception – Poor, Fair, Good, Excellent and Superior. When value is added we may sense there is something more than excellent. The matter, the service, the thing, is superior. Excellent is more than satisfactory quality, and appears rather often, but superior goes beyond excellence, not appearing as often. We do not always know what that extra is, but we sense we received it when we gained it.
The concept is ancient, and is present in any era, but has been popularized in recent decades, in part because in mass culture there is so much that is shoddy, cheaply produced, and achieved at less than ought to have been the effort, product, and friendship. We may have good but not excellent or superior educations from schools. Scripture provides much in this value added perception. The word zeal in the Bible registers this meaning. Some persons want to go even further in their spiritual lives so that their zeal for God has eaten them up. (Psalm69:9; John 2:17) They want the more excellent way. (1 Corinthians 12:31) Scripture embellishes this concept through superlatives. We shy away from superlatives in the most approved modern style of language usage. But, excellent can be made into more excellent. At some point it becomes superior. Superior goes beyond expectations. (How many persons could accept what the Apostle Paul accepted, and with his spirit?) Knowing the tendencies of mankind, God does not force obedience to the superior way. Easing comes out of God’s adaptation to human tolerances and does not demean elevated levels. What is our part related to God’s gifts, in competition between mortality and immortality?
It is important to avoid distortion. There are those who flagellate themselves, go on near death fasts, make mountain climbs on their knees, or go into lifelong retreats to gain transcendence. One fellow, known as the Stylite, sat at the top of a pole for decades. On rare occasions there are those who may do dramatic things to draw attention to the purpose, as John the Baptist did in his dress and food choices. This is not what Scripture refers to for persons, or our own personal yearnings point to. Scripture sets out a standard of life that most persons can follow without exceeding appropriate customs in the social world, and mortality requires some accommodation. There is more. That farther up and further in experience puts material things in the background, puts pride and recognition in the background, puts all other matters and experience, even the love of life, in the background. By the guidance of God through scriptural instruction this person follows a course in which his or her faith is embellished, putting God increasingly each day in primacy of spiritual growth – Value Added. We can elevate in normal life context to higher, even highest. It is striking that we can even go beyond what God expects of his children. We can do better than we do, but some are closer to the ideal than others. The point is illustrated in life. A parent accepts the love of all the children of the family, but if highly discriminating knows this child has much love and devotion, whereas the other also has love and devotion. Scripture notes the difference. That difference is private, not diluted by opinions of others, but gaining added value, and the elevation of experience. It is gained by aloneness with God. *Mark W. Lee, Sr. — 2016, 2020