You many have seen the commercial. A little boy, no more than five or six years old, steps up to a piano taller than he is. It is the dreaded piano recital.
His hair is slicked down, unruly cowlicks temporarily tamed. The little fellow is wearing a dark suit purchased just for the occasion. A tiny red power tie completes the outfit. His parents watch nervously from the audience as he places trembling fingers on the keyboard.
Hesitantly, he plinks out the first notes of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star," stumbling over the simple melody and pausing to remember what comes next. The audience collectively holds its breath as the little guy struggles on.
Suddenly, those who have lost interest and are reading their programs lift their eyes again to the stage. Instead of hearing the halting notes of a child's piano piece, they hear the swirling sounds of a complex composition. Grace notes and arpeggios flow around the single halting melody, transforming the simple song.
Those witnessing the transformation see the source of the magic. The teacher has quietly joined his protege' on stage. Slipping his arms around the child, he has added his skill and musical ability to the performance, and together they share the keyboard. What began as a simple attempt becomes a glorious masterpiece.
As I watched this inspiring commercial about the power of encouragement, I was struck by how closely this saga describes the Christian life.
Few of us are especially gifted or empowered, but when we step out in fledgling faith to obey Christ in our daily lives, God steps in, puts his arms next to ours, and transforms our pedantic attempts into beautiful symphonies. He adds His power to our weakness, His enabling to our obedience, and His Spirit to our witness.
When He does this, we experience results we could never have accomplished in our own strength. Paul testified to this in 1 Corinthians 3:6. "I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow."
If you are facing a task that seems too big for you, I challenge you to surrender it to God. Ask Him to equip and enable you, and to add His strength to yours. Invite Him to glorify Himself through you.
"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me" (1 Cor. 12:9).
I can't wait to hear the beautiful music!
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