I heard the story of Sir Michael Costs,the celebrated conductor,who was holding a rehearsal. As the mighty chorus rang out,accompanied by scores of instruments,the piccolo player,thinking perhaps that his contribution would not be missed amid so much music,stopped playing. Suddenly,the great conductor stopped and cried out,”Where’s the piccolo?” He knew something was missing,even though the player thought it wouldn’t matter.

To a professional conductor,there are no insignificant instruments in the orchestra. Sometimes the smallest and seemingly least important instrument can make the greatest contribution…even if the audience missed it,the conductor knows straight away. In life,sometimes we think our contribution is nothing much,and we feel we don’t have a lot to offer. Some people feel so worthless and hopeless they stop playing all together and give up on life. But did you know our eternal God,the Divine Conductor,misses your contribution? Whatever God wants you to do is vitally important to Him and other people. Don’t bury your talent but put it in service for the Lord to use and bless.

When Nelson Mandela was made President in 1994,he offered this challenge:
“You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn’t serve the world. We were born to make manifest the glory of God. It’s not just some of us. It’s everyone.”

He believed that everyone can make a special contribution. We each have a talent given by God Himself to use for Him and for the benefit of others. The problem occurs when we are frightened to let go and let God do His work in us…He expects us to do something for Him. He has placed within this earth all manner of resources which we can take and bring into the plan of God. So,whatever you do,you can do it for Him – whether it’s planting a garden,pruning a rose,bringing up a family,or building a house. Whatever it is we do,we should realise our lives have significance,and God has brought us here for a reason.

1 Corinthians 10:31 says,”whatever you do,do it all for the glory of God”. Don’t hide your talent under a bushel. Paul told the Christians in Rome (Romans 12:6) “we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us”. Remember,you probably have undiscovered talents… try something new and you can always improve the talents you’ve got. Look for opportunities.

It’s interesting to read about Moses who felt he had nothing to offer God until he got called to a big assignment. But he said,”Lord,I am not a public speaker and you know I stutter a bit. I mean,why would you want these lips of mine?” And God answers him back…”Tell me,Moses; who made the deaf man deaf,and all the blind; didn’t I,the Lord your God make them? Just do as I tell you and I promise I will be with your lips and show you what to say” (Paraphrase of Exodus 4:10-13). Moses still wasn’t convinced,but he obeyed,still thinking he did not have much to offer.

I read of a Canadian violinist who has a talent for identifying valuable musical instruments. He has played with various symphony orchestras,but these days he repairs musical instruments. He flies all over the world to judge the authenticity of violins. He says the famous violins of the past were superb not only because of their craftsmanship,but because of the talented musicians who played them. He says,”The fiddles were allowed to be what they were,because people understood that the instrument was secondary. Ultimately,it’s just the tool that you use to do the job.”

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How true this is of life. Without the touch of the master’s hand,our life is only lived at half its potential. That’s why it’s a good idea to use our talents wisely. Don’t keep them locked up in a box… share your life with others and God will bless you with happiness and fulfilment that will last for eternity.

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