The band

1Corinthians 3: 6-9

6I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. 7So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. 8The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. 9For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building.


Here again Paul is telling the people, the same thing many of us still need to hear today. We might be the instrument, but God makes the music. Just like a symphonic orchestra, each of plays a different piece of equipment. Each of us makes our own unique contribution to the final arrangement, but it is God who writes the notes that are played.

Some people like the drums, some like the brass, others like the woodwinds, yet as anyone who has listened to one instrument play a piece knows, no one instrument carries the music alone. I have a friend that plays the base guitar. It never fails you go over to his house, and he wants to show you the latest thing he has been working on. So he fires up the amp, and starts to wail, now make no mistake about it, he sounds great, the timing is good, the notes blend well, and he is jamming, but when he stops he looks over with a big grin and says “do you know what that was?” Of course the answer is well….uhhhh, no, I could not tell you. It is not a matter of him playing that piece flawlessly, no matter how hard he tries; with out the rest of the band, it will always be hard to figure out the song.

This is how many approach their spiritual life. They work, and study, and they know their history, they know their bible, but they do not hook up and share that talent with others, so what you end up with is a very educated person that is secluded, or worse, a highly educated person that believes they ARE the band!

We all have a place, but we must all recognize that part of that place is joining up with others to advance to the goal. That goal is building a solid relationship with the Lord. So think about it, are you running around thinking you are the band, have you allowed yourself to become so enthralled with one person that you believe that you must “follow them at all cost”. Don’t let yourself lose sight of the goal, don’t get sucked in to the idea that you are the band. Yes, you have been given top of the line equipment, but you have to join in to get the sound right. Let the Lord guide the spiritual notes that you play; he will direct the orchestra of life in such a way, that it will play music sweeter to the ear than has ever been heard before.

Peace,
Rev. Thetford