Use Your Gifts

I'm going to confess something to you. I am super completely and utterly terrified of playing my French horn in front of people. I don't mind if I'm playing in a group, but if it's just me I hate it. I don't even like to practice when other people are around. It's not that I'm bad at playing it, I'm actually pretty good. I just don't feel comfortable. This is especially weird if you know me well. I can play my guitar or sing in front of hundreds of people and not feel nervous, in fact, I actually do this quite frequently. It's not the same with the French horn.

 

You probably wonder where I'm going with this. God has gifted me with musical abilities, and, therefore, I should use my talents to honour Him and bring glory to His name. After all, that is my purpose in life, more or less. 

Each year my school band goes and plays at a conference of Christian schools. A bunch of different schools come together with their bands, orchestras, and choirs to form larger band, orchestras, and choirs. I was fine playing with the high school band, even when I had solos during the music. In fact, I really enjoyed it! This year was different, though. I was asked to accompany the high school choir on my French horn. Just the choir, a piano, and me in front of close to, if not more than, a thousand people. The music wasn't hard, and I have a hard time saying no to anything, so I agreed. I felt honoured that they asked me to do it, but I don't know what I was thinking. I got the music a few days before the concert and I only got to practice with the choir once. I wasn't prepared. I was scared silly. 

The day of the concert came, and no one outside of my band and director knew I was playing the accompaniment, so the crowd, including my parents, was confused when I got up and walked across the room after playing with the band, with my French horn in tow. As I waited backstage for the choir to sing their first two songs before I came on, I thought I was going to pee my pants or pass out from fright and nerves. The choir director introduced me, and I walked onto the hot stage, sweating from the heat of the lights. I could feel all the eyes staring at me. All attention was on me. I knew I was going to mess up. "Surely there were better people to ask than me," I thought. I shook hands with the director and sat down. The piano started and I began to play. Yes, I messed up a little. Everyone says they couldn't tell; I don't believe them. The choir sang beautifully and overall everything went wonderfully. The crowd exploded with applause and everyone cheered and whistled like it was a professional concert. I wasn't happy with how I played, but I saw tears welling up in the director's eyes. She hugged me, and I stood there feeling awkward for a second, bowed, and walked off stage. I could still feel people's eyes on me as I walked back to my seat in the band. 

The point is this: we are to use our gifts for God's glory. I got to use my French horn to glorify God at this Christian music festival, and after the concert everyone kept coming up to me congratulating me, and I got the opportunity to tell them that it was all God's grace. Sometimes God will ask us to do things that are out of our comfort zones, but He will also give us the strength to do it. When these opportunities arise it is dishonouring to God to back down because of fear. Trust God. He has gifted each of us in so many different ways, some that we may not even recognize as gifts right away, but if we listen and obey, He will make them known to us. The next time you feel prompted by the Holy spirit to do something that scares you or makes you nervous, answer the call; you will not regret it. 

"One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was.  Then the LORD called Samuel. 
      Samuel answered, 'Here I am.'  And he ran to Eli and said, 'Here I am; you called me.' 
      But Eli said, 'I did not call; go back and lie down.' So he went and lay down.

Again the LORD called, 'Samuel!' And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, 'Here I am; you called me.'
      'My son,' Eli said, 'I did not call; go back and lie down.'

 Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD : The word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him.

 The LORD called Samuel a third time, and Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, 'Here I am; you called me.' 
      Then Eli realized that the LORD was calling the boy. So Eli told Samuel, 'Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, 'Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.'" So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

 The LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times, 'Samuel! Samuel!' 
      Then Samuel said, 'Speak, for your servant is listening.'" - 1 Sam. 3:2-10

Answer the call of the Lord eagerly with a trusting heart. Samuel did, and though he faced many trials in his life, the Lord was with him the whole of every moment.

"No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." - 1 Cor. 10:13

~So