One of my Sisters in Christ has been taking piano lessons for over a year, she is naturally musically gifted but God has given her the wisdom to know that with every gift comes discipline and we are to recognize that in order to grow in Christ, we have to submit to the discipline of Holy Spirit. As she continues to submit herself to practicing, she has grown in her God-given talent, which is not only a blessing to herself but to all others that hear her perform. This discipline requires developing a sensitivity so that in which Holy Spirit can steer you in the direction He would have you go, with discipline comes growth and growth brings a greater intimacy with the Father… Usually it is in the looking back that Holy Spirit allows us to see the why and how of what He did at certain points in our walk.
As I have said before, Holy Spirit usually speaks to me in one of two places – the shower or while I’m alone in my car driving, I think this is because I’m vulnerable and susceptive to hearing Him in both places! 🙂 Today He gave me a visual, now I am not one who plays any instrument, I greatly love music and I admire those that do, but this is what He showed me and I imagine that those who have studied music, or disciplined themselves to play an instrument will agree with me or confirm… If you are to be in an orchestra or perform a musical piece with others, you focus on YOUR part in the piece. You practice over and over again so that you can make sure you have what it is YOU will be performing down pact. I imagine this must be intense, the focus of playing your section over and over and over again in the privacy of your home or wherever it is you practice on your own, takes due diligence. The music sounds TOTALLY different with just one section, one piece being played, but ohhhhhh when you come together with the other orchestra members! When each member plays their instrument and plays their parts – it’s stunning!
Why did Holy Spirit give me this visual? I think it is because the Bible says in 1 Corinthians 12:12:
“For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. “
Our walks with Christ are individual, when we stand before the Father at the end of our lives, there will be no one standing there with us, giving a report. It will be you (or I) alone before Him. God had a beautiful purpose in mind when He created the “song” of you. Your instrument is one that no one else can play, it is totally special because GOD MADE YOU SPECIAL. What are you doing with the gifts God has bestowed upon you? Created you with? Are you serving HIS purpose or are you serving the world’s? Only what you do in Christ will last. Romans 14:12 tells us:
“So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.”
2 Corinthians 5:9-10 says:
“So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.”
God IS the Composer and the Conductor of you – in other words, you are His beautifully designed one-of-a-kind instrument, whose purpose is to love and be loved and to glorify Him through your life. YOU ARE A GIFT. What you have to bring to the table of life, is precious, but you get to determine what it is you will do with you. Our lives really are an orchestrated song, with highs and with lows, but when we try to work the role of conductor, we step outside the will of God. We were created for Him, by Him and when we are in Christ we are IN Him. God is a God of order, and to be honest – there is NO greater joy than allowing God to function as the Conductor of your life – the life HE gave you to have in the first place, making the sweetest sound in the instrument He made of you…. We don’t often see the full picture, we only see in part – sometimes we only see the sound (and the piece) WE are contributing, but you see, GOD SEES THE FULL SONG OF YOU. The highs and the lows serve a purpose, they add to the sweetness of the song. Some of that purpose we will not be made aware of until we are on the other side. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 13:12:
“For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.”
As Holy Spirit showed me the orchestra of believers, I saw God conducting – pointing to this one to perform her piece, pointing to that one to perform his – and OH the beauty in the FULL picture was beyond what one could imagine simply concentrating on performing their own part. The FULL picture of God’s intent for the body of Christ to function as a spiritual body was beyond ANYTHING we could imagine. This is why we are to keep our eyes on the Conductor, trust that He knows what He is doing – even when we don’t see the “why” of situations. The thing is, God IS in control, HE ALWAYS HAS BEEN. He knows what He is doing. Our purpose is to get in line with it – and to watch and listen to what it is that God is directing us to do. How we are to conduct ourselves. If we keep our eyes focused on Him, line our lives up according to the Word of God which is the WILL of God, than the music that our lives make will be far reaching, that sweet essence will be a fragrance that attracts others to Jesus, draws them and softens hearts and opens up ears to hear and eyes to see how very MUCH God loves them and they will come to know our Conductor as we have come to know Him, and the gifts of them will add to the gifts of us and the body will grow and God WILL be glorified.
And when all is said and done, we will stand in Christ before Him and hear – “Well done my good and faithful servant.” I don’t know about you – but to me, “God’s Bravo” is the BEST ending to ANY life song. I pray it will be as such with you, as I pray it will be as such with me. Let’s glorify the name of Jesus. Ready? Set? Play! 🙂