HOME / PROCLAMATION! MAGAZINE / 2010 / APRIL MAY JUNE / THE LIFE AFTER WITH CHRIS LEE

April May June 2010
VOLUME 11, ISSUE 2

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D E P A R T M E N T S

The life AFTER with Chris Lee

 

Don't waste your gift

Chris Lee

 

The stage lights dimmed from a blaze to bathe the platform in an ocean of glowing aqua. I had come to hear a note of nostalgia, the last gasp of a reconstituted band from my youth. The moment had come for the much-lauded guitar hero to take his solo. Aging, craggy, with smoke scarred voice and stainless steel hip—could any of the old magic be unleashed after so recent a stint in rehab?

The notes began to float out over the crowd, languidly at first. As his fingers recreated the old familiar patterns, they began to dance with increasing rapidity. Finally, with both hands on the neck of the guitar, his fingertips tapped trills with blinding speed and stunning accuracy. My attention was drawn to a teenage boy who spontaneously rose to his feet, a look of wonderment upon his face. Surely too young to remember the group's last studio album, he led a sea of more jaded concert-goers who rose, uncharacteristically silent, awed in the presence of musical genius. In that moment, blending with the blue lighting, came a strange sense of melancholy. My mind turning to the wonder of God's gifts and the responsibility that comes with them.

These days, I no longer draw bright lines between "the secular" and "the religious", but I see God's hand everywhere. Believers and unbelievers both experience God's common grace in the natural abilities they have been given, but how they use and acknowledge their talents is very different. As I write this I'm watching a World Cup Soccer match between England and USA. The field is populated by men who have been blessed magnificently with athletic prowess. An English player scores and runs from the net with both arms outstretched at his sides, index fingers raised as if to say, "I'm number one to the max!" By way of contrast, a US player takes a moment after scoring to bow his head and direct fingers and eyes to the heavens. I know nothing about what either player truly meant by their gestures, but it does make me think about using our talent to glorify God.

Which brings me back to our aging guitarist: he had been referred to as a "guitar-god" since his youth. At some point, he probably started believing it. His unparalleled talent was used in self-gratifying and self-glorifying ways even as his personal and professional life was self-destructing. My sadness came in the contemplation of what such a prodigy could have accomplished had his life been devoted to glorifying God. It also hit me that glorifying self is not the only way one can waste talent. We also fail to glorify God by not using our talent at all. This failure often occurs when people leave their religious tradition along with their place in that culture. It's easy to leave and just drop out. Sometimes it's comforting just to be anonymous, slipping in and out of services with little commitment to the gathered Body. While anonymity may be natural for a time, I experience the same sense of sadness that washed over me during the guitar solo when I hear of people staying disconnected from the Body on an ongoing basis.

Even unbelievers are blessed with talents which shouldn't be squandered, but believers have been gifted far beyond just natural gifts. Every believer is also empowered by the Holy Spirit for ministry, service, edification of the Body, and glorifying God. The ways in which natural talents combine with spiritual gifting are unique and provide unique ways to serve. Are you using your unique talents and gifts for God's glory? Don't waste another day. It's time to start living the life after. †

 

 

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Chris Lee lives in Lincoln, Nebraska with his wife, Carmen, and daughters, Ashlyn and Alyssa. They attend the Lincoln Berean Church. Chris is a self-described "theology junkie" whose mission is to proclaim the unfathomable grace of Christ in a clear, understandable, and Biblical way. He leads a Life Group Bible study for former Adventists at Lincoln Berean. You may contact Chris by email at ambulater@gmail.com.