When Your Gift Gets In The Way
There’s a time and a place to leverage your gifts to the fullest as an act of worship. Yet there are also times when truer worship demands those same gifts be given rest.
I hope the story of Mary and Martha is a familiar one to you because, as lead worshippers, this story contains a lesson we all too often fail to practice.
Luke 10:38-42 | NIV
As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
Martha assumed Jesus would be most pleased, honored, respected, and loved by receiving a well cooked meal in a warm and tidy house. Martha had undoubtedly used her gift this way many times in the past to live up to one of the most important virtues in the ancient Middle East culture—hospitality.
In many other places in scripture the gift of hospitality is highlighted as a virtue that Christians should leverage to care for the outsider, our family, and our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.
Heb. 13:12 | 1 Pet. 4:9 | Ro. 12:13 | Matt. 25:34ff | 1 Tim. 5:10
It was natural, then, for Martha to want to serve Jesus in this way. And though there is certainly a time and a place to use this gift, this time, her gift stole her focus and pulled her away from what was most important.
She was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made.
This verse hits me so hard. As someone who has a large role in the preparation of the Sunday worship gathering and with an organizational and cultural expectation that the gathering look a certain way, there are indeed many preparations that “have” to be made. And not all of these preparations help me sit and listen and simply be with my Rabbi Jesus.
Especially in this cultural moment of church, I believe it’s important to guard against the distraction of preparation. For us guitar players (or any other musician for that matter), there is a significant amount of prep that’s required in order to fulfill your role on Sunday. And at times, I’m willing to bet the preparations have distracted you instead of drawn you in. I know simply because it happens to me often.
For some of us, our gifts have even been corrupted and have turned in on themselves. Our gifts can be used for personal attention, financial greed or social clout. And if this corruption has seeped in, there are times Jesus may gently remind you, “few things are needed, or indeed only one. You’re invited to choose what is better.”
Let me be clear—we should use our gift of music for the purpose of corporate worship. And it does require adequate preparation. However, only you can determine when your gift has gotten in the way of what’s most important. And I invite you to let this scripture to search your heart.
Here are a couple ways we may try to guard against our gift getting in the way:
1 - BE IN THE WORD DAILY | The best way to guard against your gift getting in the way is to not let using your gift be the only time you connect with the Lord. If you’re reserving all your time to “be” with God for Sunday morning while you’re on stage, it’s time you took a few steps back. Let your regular time with God influence how you prepare for playing on Sunday, not the other way around.
2 - WORSHIP THROUGH THE SET FIRST | When you first get the PCO notification, first listen through the songs and let your soul connect with them. Then maybe go through the set again with an acoustic guitar and worship with it. Then pick up your electric guitar.
3 - ATTEND WHEN YOU’RE NOT SCHEDULED | One of the best ways you can show your church and your team (and Jesus himself) that you’re a worshipper first and player second is by praising as fervently from the seats as you do on the stage.
Seek the Lord and ask Him where else you may be able to adjust to make simply sitting with Him a priority. Ask Him to show you if your gift has gotten in the way.