Sometimes I can be a bit of a music nerd. I love classical music and often get wrapped up in songs, so I’d like to give a disclaimer right up front, that throughout this article, I may get carried away with some obvious clichés and analogies.
Joseph Haydn’s Sonata No. 48 is one of my favourite pieces to play on the piano. It is a complicated piece, which is partly why I love it, but I rather enjoy how the movements throughout the 12 pages take me on a journey through a story filled with crescendos and decrescendos until ending a satisfying completion at the composer’s designated destination. It connects with my soul causing me to reflect on life and pour my emotions through the music.
It’s a song I have been playing for many years now and I know it very well but, put someone in the room while I’m playing it, and all of a sudden I have to start reading the music. I make slips I wouldn’t normally make, and I find I have to concentrate just a little bit more to bring out the easy flow I would normally play when it has my complete focus.
Distractions
When I have an audience, if I don’t focus on the song, I get distracted. It’s not that anyone is being noisy; I get distracted because my mind wanders from the music to the person in the room. Have I played too long? Are they’re bored? What do they think of this piece? Perhaps they’re not comfortable and might need a seat? Whatever the thoughts, at this point I’m not concentrating enough on the music that’s been given to me, to make the song sound as beautiful as it should.
When God created us, He knew us before we were born. He gave us gifts and purpose and promised to bring to completion the good work that He had begun in us (Philippians chapter 1 verse 6). But sometimes in the desire to please others, or just in the process of living life, we get distracted and turn our focus onto ‘the man’ instead of keeping our focus on the Creator and His Word.
Keeping the song in key
The enemy knows that when we are in tune with God, seeking His way and purpose for our lives, we are capable of doing incredible things for the Kingdom. We become dangerous. When our eyes are fixed on God, our lives play through a beautiful melody with many colourful movements. Sometimes life is lived at Andante—at a walking pace, and other times it is Allegro—fast, quick and bright. Finally, we are lifted to the triumphant heights of a victorious ending and the song is brought to a beautiful completion.
But if we get distracted, the song begins to sound distorted. It can take some turns that really hurt our ears, and until it gets back in the correct key that it was meant to be played in, it’s really hard to listen to.
God, the great composer
God is the greatest composer of the music of our lives. He has written the perfect music for us to learn from—the Bible; given us the perfect example to shape our lives from—Jesus; and has given us the greatest conductor to help us navigate our way through each and every note—The Holy Spirit. If we trust in Him to conduct us through all the movements, the finished composition will be stirring, life-changing, beautiful to listen to, and uniquely written for each person’s story.
And even if we have begun a little shaky, Jesus makes everything beautiful in His timing.
‘He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the Lord and put their trust in him.’ (Psalm chapter 40 verse 3)