“Mum, do you think you could teach me how to play the guitar?” asked my eleven-year-old son one day after school. I had played a little guitar when in school and remembered a beginners guitar book that was sitting in our music room.
“Sure, give me a minute and we’ll go have a look,” I replied. We began by tuning the guitar as best we could and slowly worked through the fingering of the first chord. By the end of his first amateur lesson with me, Benaton’s fingers were sore, but he had found enough desire to learn this instrument that he would return to the guitar every spare moment he found for years to come.
Now five years on, he is a prolific guitar player performing regularly in a band that he formed, as well as regularly playing in the church worship band. His whole world revolves around his gift of music which began with playing the drums since he was big enough to hold the sticks, and as he plans his career course, I know his future is going to revolve around music as well.
When I think of that very first lesson, as elementary as it was on my end, I am astounded at what those small beginnings turned into. I really didn’t have a lot I could teach him, yet it was enough to get him started. Needless to say, I wasn’t his guitar teacher for more than two or three lessons, for he quickly surpassed my limited guitar knowledge and today I am the proud mum and number one fan (along with our family), cheering him on whenever he performs.
Don’t despise the day of small things
Reading through the prophets in the Old Testament, you can feel God’s excitement as the time to rebuild His temple was coming closer. The LORD decreed that it would begin, and though it was delayed and took time, He says, in Zechariah chapter four verse ten: “Who dares despise the day of small things, since the seven eyes of the LORD that range throughout the earth will rejoice when they see the chosen capstone in the hand of Zerubbabel?”
God didn’t see just a capstone, He saw the completed result before it even began. It was in His heart and, being God, time has no boundary to Him, therefore, He knew the completion of the work would come to be because He was also already there.
Though there may be mountains in our way in the form of obstacles and trials, God speaks and says: “What are you, mighty mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become level ground. Then he will bring out the capstone to shouts of ‘God bless it! God bless it!” (Zechariah chapter 4 verse 7)
You can feel His excitement!
Purpose in our lives
When God puts a plan and a purpose on each one of our lives, He is excited at its beginnings because He knows what it will be and will see it through to its completion. I kind of see His excitement as that of a parent on Christmas Eve; you know the gifts your child is going to open the next morning and you are excited for what is coming to them, but you have to let them open them up and discover for themselves.
God is excited for the purpose and plans He has given to each one of us. We may think that what we are doing isn’t very important or is overwhelming because we’re just at the beginning and are wondering if it will even work.
If God has placed it on your heart, then He will carry it on to completion, we just have to keep going. When only the foundation of the temple had been laid, God spoke and said, “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this temple; his hands will also complete it. Then you will know that the LORD Almighty has sent me to you.” (Zechariah chapter 4 verse 9)
When God gives us a mighty task, He knows its completion will point to Him. He doesn’t want us to give up halfway. He doesn’t want us to look at the beginning of something great and say, “oh, it’s too hard. I don’t think I can do anymore on that.” Though you may be right to say it’s too hard, when God puts great things on our hearts, it’s in His strength that He wants us to complete it.
‘So he said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’” says the LORD Almighty.’ (Zechariah chapter 4 verse 6)
Of course, you can’t do it on your own
We more often than not, certainly can’t do it on our own and that’s the point. Faith means leaning into God. It means, needing Him and knowing that we can’t do it ourselves, but we can certainly do all things through Christ who strengthens us. Which is the point really. The glory must always go back to the Father, who is the great and Sovereign God who makes us fly on wings like eagles.
And if you’re feeling unworthy, remember, He takes the unlikely ones to shine His glory through. 1 Corinthians chapter 1 verse 27 says: “But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.”
‘Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”’ (1 Corinthians chapter 1 verses 26-31)
God knew all along that my son would pursue a calling to music, for that is what was put inside of him when he was created. If I didn’t take the time to encourage that moment of teaching, I’m sure he would have found it some other way. I am just glad that I did, and that we share that special memory together. Who knows what God has planned for his future? Only time will tell, but boy, I am sure going to enjoy the show and will always remember those precious ‘small beginnings’.