Years ago, there was a master violinist in Europe. He would play in concerts, and he had a magnificent Stradivarius violin, extremely expensive. He would play the Stradivarius violin in concert and everyone would whisper in the crowd, “Listen to the beautiful sounds of the Stradivarius.”
He would play in churches, and people would say, “Listen to the beautiful sounds of the Stradivarius.” He even played before kings and queens, and they, too, would turn to one another and say, “Listen to the beautiful sounds of the Stradivarius.” All the glory went to the instrument.
Then one day this master violinist was walking by a pawnshop. He noticed an old, beat-up, worn-out violin. He walked into the pawnshop and asked how much it would cost. The owner of the pawnshop told him the American equivalent of five dollars. He bought the violin, and he took it home. He polished it, and he refined it, and he tuned it, and he retuned it, and he built some character into that violin. Then, when he was to play the greatest performance of his life in a concert hall, he took out the little, five-dollar, worn-out, beat- up violin that he had polished and refined. He put it up to his chin, and he began to play, and everybody in the concert hall whispered, “Listen to the beautiful sounds of the Stradivarius.”
These words from Ron Lee Davis in his preaching material entitled “Rejoicing in Our Suffering” is a great reminder for us not to forget the Musician.
I do a great deal of speaking.
If musicians give concerts I give seminars and keynotes.
After a moving speech or a life-changing seminar people come to me and say, “You are the best I have ever heard.”
I smile and say “Thank you…you are very kind.”
I do my radio program, I write my books and I do my newspaper column and eventually people would send me emails, drop me a text message and compliment me with the material and I always respond with a “Thank You.”
Makes me feel good. But here is the key.
I need to remind myself that I can do this only because I am an instrument and I should never forget the Musician.
I can only do what I do if I point the adulation to the One who has given me the ability to do this. I take the Scriptures seriously especially the part that says without Christ, I can do nothing.
The only reason why we can do what we do is all because of the Grace of God. We are accomplishing His Purpose. With this as a thought then we are willing to be tuned by Him and we are willing to be played by Him no matter who or what the audiences are.
Speak in a classy hotel? Sure. Speak in an international convention center. Of course. But to speak under a torn roof, non-concreted public school that cannot even afford a low cost sound system? Aha… that is where the challenge is.
If I say no because the place and the people are inconvenient for me then I have increased and my God the Musician has decreased but if I accept the invitation with a cheerful heart knowing that God is about to play me again and have His Purpose met then the music comes out beautiful.
You and I are only as good as God would allow us to be.
This is why you and I should be good instruments. And let us never forget The Musician.