Being an Instrument

We often say that we desire to be an instrument in the hands of God - to do His will and to minister to others by yielding to the Holy Spirit and allowing Him to do His work through us.  Something about being an instrument was said in passing in church this morning and it started me thinking about musical instruments and how they might teach me something about being used by God for His purposes.

And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. (Romans 6:13)

An instrument doesn't function on its own.  It only fulfills its true purpose when it is the hands of a master.  When the right person is in control, the music that flows from the horn or the violin or the flute is beautiful and controlled and has an effect on the hearts and minds of those who hear it.  We may try to function on our own.  We can rely on what we know about God and what we have learned about ministering to go through the motions, but unless we are truly yielded to the Holy Spirit, our actions can be just meaningless religious activity.

An instrument must be in good condition to work as it should.  If it has been neglected, the notes won't be true or in tune. We must take care of our physical bodies as well as our spiritual health to be in a position to be ready to obey whatever directions we are given by God. We need to know His Word to be prepared to function as we should.

An instrument has a unique sound.  A composer uses the different tones in a variety of instruments to make one harmonious piece of music.  If all the sounds were the same, the richness of the composition would be lost. Instruments function in different ways.  Some bring their sound when they are struck, like a drum or a piano.  Others have air blown through them like a clarinet or a trombone.  Others yield their sound from the vibration of strings like a violin or a guitar.  In the same way, all of us have different gifts and talents and we are varied expressions of the love of God to others.  We need to appreciate the differences among us and to expect unity, but embrace the different ways we contribute.

Instruments can vary their sound depending on what the composer and the conductor require for a piece of music.  Notes may be played quietly or loudly.  The tempo of various pieces of music is quite different.  The pitch of the notes may be low bass notes or very high notes.  We need to look at the music that God has written for us in His Word and adjust our responses to what He has designed.  The Holy Spirit is our conductor, guiding us to exactly how He wants a situation to be handled at any given moment.

Sometimes an instrument plays a solo, while other times it combines its sound with many others to contribute to an orchestra of instruments working together toward the same goal.  In our lives, there may be times when God calls us to do something on our own, without the presence of other Christians, so we need to have mastery of the Word and be connected with God for ourselves to be obedient to that call.  Other times we are part of a team effort and must learn how to cooperate with our brothers and sisters to fulfill God's purpose.

An instrument left in its case and never removed to be played is a tragic waste of the material from which it is made.  So much potential is bottled up inside that enclosure when there is so much beauty to be created with its use.  If you aren't functioning in the kingdom you are creating a lost opportunity where there could be such joy generated.  Won't you consider unlocking the walls around yourself, tuning up your instrument and placing yourself in the hands of a true Virtuoso who can take your life and play the most beautiful, unique music for the rest of the world to hear?