This Fall season I have had the privilege of taking the Hispanic Choir from Shadow Mountain through Ephesians 4:1-16 where the Apostle Paul writes to the early church about the subject of “Unity.” As our choir is growing and we are praying for greater growth, we want to do our part to really grasp this concept of “Unity of the Spirit.” It has been a growing time for me personally and, I believe, a growing time for our Choir.
The first lesson we were able to pull from this incredible chapter had to do with Paul’s circumstances. When Paul was writing the book of Ephesians, he had just been arrested in Jerusalem for inciting a riot, traveled to Rome for trial (during which he encountered a shipwreck off the coast of Malta where he remained with the “natives” for three months) and after arriving in Rome, was placed in prison.
Our two primary lessons from all of this? (1) God has a purpose and a place for your life. (2) Right where God has placed you is right where God can best use you. The responsibility we have is to accept His place and His purpose for our lives.
Paul understood this. He did not complain. He did not pout. He did not argue with God. He wrote. As a matter of fact Paul wrote Colossians, Philemon, Ephesians, and Philippians during his imprisonment in Rome. He understood God’s place for him in this season of his life was prison and God’s purpose for him while in prison was to write. And Christians for almost 2000 years have been greatly impacted, if not changed, by his writings.
Now on to Sandi Patty.
This morning I was perusing the ABC News website and came across an interview with Christian singer Sandi Patty. In this interview, she was talking about a new book that she had just released. At the end of the interview, the interviewer asked Sandi a question many famous singers get asked all of time, “What advice do you have for anyone who wants to make it in the music business?”
Sandi’s response was one I have heard her repeat through the years (and she even admitted that it was not a popular one). Sandi stated:“Do everything you can right where you are.” She continued, “Show up. Be the best alto in your choir. Take piano lessons and practice diligently every day. Whatever opportunities you are given today, show up and be the best. Preparation will oftentimes intersect with opportunity.”
What great words for anyone at ANY stage in life. While taking this advice is no promise of fame and fortune, it does guarantee that we are being great stewards of the gifts and talents God has given us. And I have seen time and again in my life that great talent and hard work (combined with humility) usually never go unnoticed or unrewarded in the earthly realm nor, I suspect, in the Heavenly realm.
What great words of advice to begin this week with. Bloom where you are planted.
Until next time,
Jason C. Prater
