Scripture
“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speak the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.”
1 Peter 4:10-11
Quotes/Color
“Hide not your talents
They for use were made
What [good] is a sundial [left] in the shade?”
Ben Franklin
Context
I come from a musical family. All of my aunts and uncles were in a family band called the Rhodes Kids in the 70s. They were on the Johnny Carson show and once opened for Elvis Presley at the Las Vegas Hilton. Even had the same outfit designer as Elvis. (I had some convincing 70s outfits at school as a kid).
My grandma on my dad’s side was a piano performance major in college and taught my brothers, cousins and I piano as little ones. She loved piano and music so dearly. I vividly remember her showing me a chord, just a normal chord on the piano, that she especially loved one day in one of our lessons. (It was rich and full of dissonance as all good chords are!) She played it slowly for me, one note at a time and then tenderly all at once. Then a little tear formed in her eye. The music had moved her. And my sweet Tennessee-raised grandma said in her strong southern accent… “Now isn’t that a pretty chord?”
My dad and one of my uncles both have perfect pitch. Tell them, “Sing me an F#.” And boom, they can do it without hesitation. No piano around, nothing. The pitch is already set at all times in their head.
One of my cousins makes Christian music and Nashville currently. Several of my other girl cousins, honest to goodness, have the singing voices of Disney Princesses. Effortless and truly some of the best voices I’ve ever heard.
As a little guy, I remember my poor older cousins bringing their new boyfriends/girlfriends to Thanksgiving/Christmas and introducing them to family. One of the first questions they got asked by my aunts and uncles… “So what instruments do you play?” To be clear, not, “Do you play any instruments?” Nope. “(I assume you play instruments, plural) So what instruments (plural) do you play?”
One of my aunts taught choir at a private school for 20+ years and one of my uncles was music minister of the church that I grew up at and later worked at.
Growing up with my uncle as music minister of my church was wonderful and truly one of the greatest gifts of my life. Not a doubt in my mind. It was foundational to the beginnings of my faith and made me truly love church and church music. To this day, church music is one of the top things that stirs my affections for God and moves me. It has helped shape who I am, what I value and how I view God (BIG and worthy of praise and worship). I am immensely spoiled, as I truly believe I grew up under one of the most gifted music ministers/christian arrangers in the world – my Uncle Gary.
That being said… It also was hilarious and stressful at times. Cause Uncle Gary had a lot of spots to fill in the choir, in the orchestra, in the band, in the praise team and in the children’s choir. Uncle Gary didn’t do church music small. There were alot to do and alot of moving pieces. And he had to find people to fill the spots.
And you know who is just good enough to get by on all of those things?
All the different instruments and vocals? But not really good enough to feel all that confident about it while doing it? This guy. And you know who would just be chillin’ in the congregation, minding his own business on a Sunday morning? And then get called up on stage during the middle of greeting time (“turn to your left and right and say good morning to someone around you”) on a whim to play the chimes (not a subtle instrument) on some song he had never heard before, let alone practiced 2 weeks in a row? Also this guy. And you know which high schooler would get calls on Saturday night right before going to bed to see if he could play the woodblock for the instrumental in the service at 8am the next morning? You guessed it. Also me.
Application
My Uncle Gary taught me something very valuable through all of those experiences.
He never felt bad when he would ask me to step in and play the chimes during the middle of the service. Or when he would call me the night before to play percussion the next day. Or ask me to sing on a whim.
He knew I had the ability. And the way he operated implied… “You have the ability. You should be using it. It’s not yours to hoard and keep to yourself. If there is a need, get on up here.”
In other words, he was asking me to do what 1 Peter 4 instructs… Be a “faithful steward” of the various gifts God has given me. “You’ve got the ability to serve in worship. Don’t be greedy and idle. You can do it, so why would you be sitting out there in the congregation?”
Do you use the gifts God has given you exclusively for your own benefit?
Take inventory of your gifts. It’s implied that you should steward it. At a moment’s notice. And not think twice. A good steward of money is openhanded and generous with his abundant resources. Likewise, a good steward of talents is openhanded and readily invites interruption to God’s cause. Don’t just steward your money. Generously share your time and talents. Don’t keep them all to yourself for your own benefit.
“What [good] is a sundial [left] in the shade?”
Something to Chew On:
- Take an honest inventory of the gifts and talents that God has given you. Are you using them exclusively for your own advancement socially, professionally, etc? Or are you committing to steward them for a higher cause?
- Are you in the battle to advance God’s kingdom? Are you faithfully looking at your gifts, showing up to the battle and believing they can contribute to God’s purposes?
- Do you steward more than your money? Do you carefully tithe (give your “first fruits of”) your time and talents as well?
GreatValue Proverb:
Stolen from Poor Richard himself… “Hide not your talents… They for use were made… What [good] is a sundial [left] in the shade?”