In many ways human beings are also beautifully crafted instruments. We are intricately and wonderfully formed, combining multiple facets such as spirit and flesh, talents and abilities, emotions and intellect.
Yet human beings are distinct from musical instruments in one significant way; we are able to function without a musician, instrumentalist or composer.
Human beings are capable of composing their own lives, choices and decisions; we don't need someone to pull our strings or tap our keys for us to produce various noises and sounds.
Essentially we can march to the beat of our own drum.
However human beings don't have to perform life as soloists. In actuality we were never created to live life independent of our maker, we were created to work in harmony with Christ.
Just because we can function without him, doesn't mean that we should!
When we are living our lives in consultation with God, then we are going to produce the most beautiful music. Of course our lives will still see moments of heartache and sadness and there will most certainly still be days when we are disappointed and disillusioned. But when we are in harmony with Christ, our days are filled with more purpose, joy and fulfillment than we could ever experience in a life without Christ.
The famous German composer Johann Sebastian Bach stated that "The aim and final end of all music should be none other than the glory of God and the refreshment of the soul. If heed is not paid to this, it is not true music but a diabolical bawling and twanging."
Although I appreciate the beauty and magnificence of musical instruments, I thank God that we were not created to be objects that are played with and manipulated.
We have the ability and the promise to make our own decisions. God does not want to pull our strings.
If we commit to working with our creator (the composer of our lives) then we can truly become 'instruments for Christ' rather than aimless, selfish soloists. This instrument is not controlled by Christ, but an agent and facilitator of his love, generosity and compassion here on earth. We become instruments through which he can do such mighty deeds.
I have to agree with Bach when he said that music without the glory of God is just bawling and twanging. I imagine life too without the glory of God is just bawling and twanging; how sad that such beauty and potential will never be realised.
In Colossians 3 verse 16 it says "Let the word [spoken by] Christ (the Messiah) have its home [in your hearts and minds] and dwell in you in [all its] richness, as you teach and admonish and train one another in all insight and intelligence and wisdom [in spiritual things, and as you sing] psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, making melody to God with [His] grace in your hearts".
Alison Barkley lives in Newcastle and is a post graduate student at Macleay College in Sydney in book editing and publishing.
Alison Barkley's previous articles may be viewed at
www.pressserviceinternational.org/alison-barkley.html