Now that I’m back in Mexico after traveling to Arkansas for the funeral, I’m excited to see what the Lord has in store for me (if you haven’t had a chance to watch the livestream of the funeral, I highly encourage you to do so at the Jackson Hole Bible College Facebook page). We got back Wednesday evening, and right away the next morning, Annie Clark (the daughter of the family I’m staying with) had to She invited me to join her, and although I’m not the most musically gifted nor can I speak the language, I was excited to tag along.
The day was a little challenging because none of the kids had practiced nor seemed very motivated, which can be very discouraging. On a positive note, Annie and I were able to have really good conversations throughout the day, and it left me feeling very uplifted and encouraged. I asked her what inspired her to start the music lessons, and what she said really impacted me.
“I don’t want to do anything unless it has eternal value.”
That thought resonated throughout the day and continues to resonate with me now. Annie explained that she loves music and desires to start an orchestra. But her reason behind it isn’t for entertainment—she said she hopes to one day use the orchestra to draw crowds in during their street evangelism ministries, so that more people would hear the gospel.
The Lord has created each and every one of us with certain skills and abilities. For some it’s music, others it’s math or science and some might be naturally athletic. But whatever yours might be, know that it is a gift of the Lord. And because it’s a gift, we shouldn’t waste our talents but utilize and develop them for His glory. Wasting them by not using them shows ingratitude to how God made us. It reminds me of the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-30. We want to be like the servant in the parable from Matthew who was given five talents and produced five more. How disappointing would it be to show up on judgment day like the third servant, having never used our gifts or developed our potential for the Lord? God called that servant a “wicked, lazy slave.”
Does that mean if we’re not investing every spare moment into developing our talents that we’re wasting our time? Of course not. You can become the greatest musician, athlete, writer (you name it!) in the world, reaching the peak of your potential, and it still be a complete waste. On the other hand, you can be a homemaker and raise a family and be a faithful servant in God’s kingdom.
Everyone desires to make a difference or leave a legacy of some sort—maximizing the short time we have on this earth. That’s what redeeming the time is all about. When you live your life for the Lord, it will never be a waste. Now the question is how. If you develop your skills because you recognize that it’s a gift from the Lord and you use them to reach others with the gospel, that has eternal value.
It doesn’t matter if you’re directly in the ministry or working a career and raising a family. You can even be in the ministry your whole life without an eternal mindset (many American mega pastors fall into this category). The Pharisees were like this—but all they ever obtained was praise from man. It all boils down to motive. Am I living for myself or for Christ? We’re probably quick to say Christ, but I ask you to examine yourself and ask, who is truly getting the glory?
Now back to my story about the music lessons. Musically, Annie is incredibly talented and very humble about it. She has been teaching students how to play instruments that she doesn’t even know how to play herself, including the violin. I’m sure you can imagine how difficult that must be. As God would have it, I just so happen to play violin. Not very well, but I at least know the basics.
Annie is hoping to work out a way for me to take over the violin students while she continues with the others. I was a little nervous to take this on because I feel very inadequate musically speaking. I’m a beginner myself and still have so much to learn—how am I supposed to teach? But then I realized I was acting just like Moses and Jeremiah when they made excuses to the Lord. They said they were inadequate and couldn’t do it. But doesn’t God already know that? Doesn’t He already know my strengths and weaknesses? After all, He is the one who made me, and in reality, He doesn’t need my help—He just desires my obedience. I heard it said once that God doesn’t want your ability—He wants your availability.
Just two days later, I was reading a devotional by Charles Stanley called “God’s Purpose for Your Life,” and on this particular day, the devotion was titled, “Choosing His Priorities.” I want to share an excerpt with you.
"Today, rather than focus on what you desire, turn your attention to what God wants—His plans and priorities for your life. After all, what you long for generally leads to the realization of what you cannot do or be in your own strength. But when you focus instead on what the Lord enables you to accomplish, you know that He assumes full responsibility for your needs as you obey Him (emphasis added)."
As I said, I’m not the greatest violinist. But I realized that perhaps the whole reason God initially placed a desire to learn violin was in preparation for this very moment. And if it goes well, it will be undoubtingly clear that it was a work of the Lord and not my own doing. That way, He receives all the glory.
Lord, may I adopt this perspective into my life. Help me not to better my talents in order to receive the accolades of but to bring many sons to glory, and ultimately, bring glory to You. May I receive none of the credit. I surrender everything that I am to you—my talents, my personality, my abilities, my interests, and my weaknesses and failures. Who I am is Yours to begin with, and I want every ounce that I am, every waking moment, every breath of my life to have eternal value. I know that You designed and equipped me for a purpose, and I want to live out that purpose. May my life bring glory to You in everything—even the small, daily things like eating and drinking…and teaching music lessons. Let me not create excuses but lean wholly and solely on the power of the cross. Yet not I but Christ through me.
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