Oh the Joy to be Jewel!

            Are you content to just be who God made you to be? I know I’m not always. Sometimes I wish I were a different age, have gifts other people have, or live somewhere else. But there’s a reason God made us each with different gifts and abilities. Jeremiah learned this lesson in the potter’s house.

            “And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it. Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? Saith the Lord. Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.” Jeremiah 18:4-6

            I’ll never forget the drawing my grandfather did to illustrate this point. Walking down a long gravel path, there was a lady carrying two buckets of water. One of the buckets was perfect, no leaks or holes could be seen. The other bucket; however, had a  leak at the bottom allowing a steady stream of water to fall out. The lady thought the bucket was useless. But in reality, it was watering the beautiful flowers alongside the path. Because of the imperfection in the bucket, it was able to make a different and much larger impact on its surroundings.

            It is the same for us. Sometimes we wonder why God allows us to have suffering, imperfections, or differing talents. But without these blemishes, we wouldn’t be able to perform the work God has for us.

            You know, sometimes I wish I had the drawing talent my brother has, or the straight brown hair I’ve always wished for. But the older I’ve gotten, the more I’ve realized how wonderful it is to have curly blonde hair. A lot of people pay a pretty fine price to get the curls I have by just wetting my hair!

            What if the whole body of Christ was, say, only good at writing.  There would be no one do the speaking, editing, art, cooking, serving, nursing, etc.

            “For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot shall say, because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear shall say, because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body as it hath pleased him. And if they wee all one members m where were the body?..And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. Nay, much more those members, of the body, which seem more feeble, are necessary.” I Cor. 12:14-22

            This seems to be a hard concept for everyone to grasp, but especially us women. It seems that our men are doing all the important work. What good is the day-in day-out washing dishes, cleaning bathrooms, or changing diapers? Yet, we have been given an equally, if not more important job: raising the next generation.

            It starts getting exciting when the body of Christ can compliment each other’s talents. I play piano and violin, but I can’t do both at the same time. (Although I have tried but that’s another story!) I’ve had a blast playing music with others. That’s where brothers and sisters in Christ can compliment each other with our various skills.

            Furthermore, I really enjoy studying the English language, but I’m not very good at fiction. When a friend of mine finished a novel she was writing, I was able to edit it for her. I couldn’t have come up with a very good story line, but together we were able to come out with a quality product.

            So in the end, I’m glad God made me Jewel. Now the exciting part begins as He shows me the plan He has for me…and the gifts he has given me.

Thoughts on Music

            Scarcely a Sunday goes by where I do not have two pages of notes for the sermon. One, a giant slash recall of the sermon itself, and the other, my thoughts. The exposition of the Word not only brings together scriptural passages in my mind, but suddenly everything I have been thinking on makes sense.

            Music has been an area of thought recently. I have always understood that Christians are to take dominion of the music by composing, arranging, and inventing. But today was the first day it occurred to be that we are also cast off the imaginations of the world, or rather bring not only our music, but the whole world’s under the submission of Christ’s law. The Word describes the purpose of music as, to praise of God, and to root and ground Christians in the faith. Therefore, when people hear our music, it must:

1. Sound and say nothing like the world’s music
2. Remind the listener of the majesty of God and our incapability
3. Express and encourage the worship of God, not our emotions
4. Root and ground the listener in good theology. The modern practice of repeating one simple phrase for the entire three minute song simply doesn’t cut it.
5. Contain a proper musical resolution in the key specified
6. Turn our thoughts to God and His Word
7. Be multi-generational friendly

What music we listen to is important because it works its way into our attitudes, our clothing, and our purpose. There are numerous examples of “good” children who have been ruined mentally due to listening to the wrong music. Music has a way of entering us without going through our minds. We must take all caution then, because it is much easier to accept wrong thinking if it is sung than if it were bluntly told to you.

-Jewel

Diem declectare, Dieu laudes decorare