I remember the day as clearly as if it was yesterday, the first day of school and my first day in first grade. It was back in those days that if you were going to play in the school band you started at six years old. Well, whether I wanted to or not I don’t remember, but I do remember the music teacher assigning instruments: drums (went to someone else); trumpet (went to someone else), and so went every instrument that caught my eye. And in the end I got stuck with the clarinet! At least my mom was thrilled.
That was a long time ago and I hadn’t thought about it until reading Paul’s letter to the Galatians the other morning. It reminded me of something that I struggled with for all those years playing the clarinet… all 10 years. It was the constant pressure to move up to a higher position in the band, move up to the “First Chair.” Well, I got close but never made it, and I think it sort of developed a mindset that I would not let that happen again in life. I would always make sure that whatever “band” I played in in life that I would make it to the first chair. And in reflection, that is what I have done all my life; sometimes for the good and sometimes for the bad.
The Holy Spirit used Paul’s letter to show me something that I have never really gotten hold of through all these years, and He showed it to me in the picture of Barnabas.
When the Gentile revival broke out at Antioch the apostles decided that they needed to send someone to check it out and that someone was Barnabas. He was excited at what he saw when he got there and decided to stay and help. But it didn’t take long for him to realize that the work at hand was far above his own talents. So what did he do? Did he work harder and longer to accomplish the task? No, he headed off to Tarsus to find Paul, the one person he had long ago determined was gifted both in the natural and spiritual and was the one they needed in Antioch.
Barnabas was focused on what the Spirit wanted and not on the “first chair.” He knew nothing about jealousy and knew that no matter what he might do, Paul was far more qualified for what needed to be accomplished for the Lord. And that was the key… for the Lord. Spurgeon hit the nail on the head when he said: “It takes more grace than I can tell, to play second fiddle well.” What a perfect description of Barnabas. By his election to play “second fiddle,” he and Paul became the first missionaries sent by the church to spread the gospel.
We need to ask ourselves, what chair has the Lord placed me in and what role has He asked me to play while sitting in that chair? Because in God’s orchestra, there really are no first or second or third chairs. In fact, every member of the bride has been given the opportunity to lend their gifts and talents to His orchestra by playing their “chair” as directed by the Holy Spirit. For some of us, like me, that has been a struggle as we think that striving for the “first chair” is what life (our life in Christ) is all about. Doing the best in every thing we do in order to please Him.
Well, doing our best for Him is always the right thing, but the question we have to ask ourselves is whether the effort is for Him or for our self? There comes a time when we have to decide just who is setting the chairs in the orchestra and become content and committed in the chair in which He has set us. And the funny thing is, when we do we come to the realization that the joy and peace that striving has eliminated from the equation returns. Yes, that happiest day in my young life was the day I stopped playing the clarinet, but it took me a long time to understand that I never really stopped striving for the “first chair.”
The lesson Paul reminded me of… it is so much better to play second fiddle in God’s orchestra than sit in the first chair of mine!