BEING IN TUNE WITH OUR GOD
by Robert Ventura October 3, 2000
As a musician, it is important to be in tune with the other instruments that play in a Band or Orchestra. Before the Director steps up on the podium, the players are playing on their instruments warming up on whatever they desire to warm up on such as scales or Band music. The sounds that are being heard at this time are distorted and unpleasing to the ear. When the Director stands on the podium, the playing stops, and the Director starts to fine tune the Band by having the Concertmaster play a Concert Bb pitch. The other instruments start tuning to this pitch, and now pleasant sounds are being heard. As the Director continues to warm up the Band and proceed to the next steps in the rehearsal procedure, we find a pleasant blending of sounds as the Band plays.
A Band consists of a variety of different instruments each unique in its characteristic sound which when put together with other instruments produces a pleasant harmony of sound pleasing to ones ears. It takes cooperation from the players working with the director to produce a consistent flowing beautiful sound which depending on the type of music played can be exciting or not exciting. When all the musicians are playing their best, we have harmony, but when they make mistakes, don't practice, and don't take their commitment to the Band seriously we have disorder.
Let's take this illustration above and put it in perspective of our Christian walk with God. God is the Director who guides, and directs us on our journey through life. We live in a world that has many varieties of people(variety of instruments), and a variety of sounds(each person has a different characteristic or personality that makes that person unique). How we relate to one another is of importance to our Director(God). When we relate to one another in love we have harmony, but when we don't relate like our Lord Jesus would like us to relate we have discord.
God is a God of love. He loves us so much that He sent His only begotten Son Jesus Christ to earth to die for our sins(John 3:16). Even if you were the only person on earth, He would have died just for you, because He loved us that much.
Why do we exist? Our purpose as Christians on this earth is to reach out in love to others. Are you practicing this principle which is in God's Word? Are you reaching out in love to your neighbors, the new person in your church, the lonely widow, the inmate in the prison, the child whose parents just got a divorce, etc. Some scriptures that speak about serving can be found in Mark 10:45, John 15:12,13, and Acts 20:35.
Matthew 22: 36-40 says, "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law? Jesus replied, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is LIKE IT: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."
Read Proverbs 3: 27-28....it talks about not withholding good to those who deserve it.
We need to orient ourselves to others, and practice what the Word says. Take time today to reach out!!!!! Blessings will follow!!