The Same Goal
by Hester Fulton
Fall is just around the corner, and that brings about all my favorite things—decorations, pumpkins, sweaters, crisp air, flannel, cozy fireplace settings…you get the picture. It also encompasses football!
Our son began his freshman year of high school this past August. He is playing marimba in the marching band for the football games, and it is not suited to marching on the field. He stands on the sidelines and plays. When I was in band, the marimba was reserved for orchestral sounds and special auxiliary percussion. I played clarinet, and we marched in formations all over the field in any kind of weather. Our son proudly uses his mallets to hit giant wooden keys that make beautiful music and never veers from his sideline position. You might wonder if that really counts as being in marching band. Yes. He is just as important as the tuba player marching to fit into the last of the brass line.
Being part of a band brings about a sense of unity and fierce commitment to a greater cause of producing beautiful music. There are many instruments of all shapes and sizes, and each instrument can sound great, but when you mesh them all together to accomplish a complete piece, it can become magnificent! Everyone has the same goal—play the notes and arrive at the end of the piece knowing you gave your all for the beauty of the music.
As Christians, we all are instruments of God’s mighty “band.” We all have different abilities that can provide good things for God’s Kingdom. Some instruments teach, some serve others, some wrap children in their arms for instruction, some even use their smiles to welcome others into the House of the Lord. But when we unite together to accomplish winning souls for the Lord, it becomes a magnificent obsession of a beautiful melodious song that swells in vibrato to bring praise and honor to God. (I did my best to incorporate musical terms that many could understand.) It’s the same goal—use your ability to love all people to Christ and to arrive at the end of your life knowing you gave your all for the kingdom of God.
1 Peter 2:9-10 says, ”But you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God’s instruments to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for you—from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted.”
How are you using your instrument that God created in you? Are you thinking you’re unimportant because you’re on the sideline? Are you setting your instrument on fire because you’re frustrated that you squeak or squawk in the band? Talk to God and ask Him to create in you a clean heart (instrument) for him to use in God’s band. It might just be the harmonious melody the church can use the most.
Author Bio
Hester Fulton is the Ministry Strategy Coordinator and Assistant for the 9 a.m. worship service. She is married to David, and they have a son, Eli, who is a freshman in high school. Hester enjoys watching a good mystery and catching up with great friends over a great cup of coffee. She grew up as a minister’s kid which developed in her a deep passion of music and love of gospel songs and hymns. She loves to leave singing voice messages to church members just to help make the days go by a little easier.