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Four Chords

Posted by Tim LaTour on

For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them… (Romans 12:4-6, emphasis added)

I grew up around music. My dad’s was in a band with his siblings and music was always filling our home. We had a couple of guitars laying around and occasionally I would pick one up and try to play some songs. I would just try to play what I heard – and it was never really any good.

One day when I was about 10 years old, my dad sat me down to teach me a song. The song had a total of four chords played over and over (and over and over). Chords were a whole new world for me. They scared me. I was ok playing one note at a time – but chords seemed impossible. But I learned the song – and now I was hooked. All of a sudden, I knew chords – which opened a whole new door to learning more songs. Little did I know that my persistence in learning the guitar would lead me into something much bigger.

After I had been a Christian for a few years, a friend of mine asked me if I would serve as a volunteer with our church’s youth ministry. I was in university by this point and teenagers scared me. They were so cool. So cool that they intimidated me. I asked him what he wanted me to do and he said to play the guitar on the youth worship team. 

Oh…ok. I can do that. 

After saying yes to playing the guitar, all of a sudden I was thrust into a new community. I was with a group of like minded volunteers (who were just as nervous as I was) serving a group of students who were looking for guidance. Saying yes to playing the guitar led to a life altering journey. We started volunteering with the youth group by using skills that we had learned over the years – but God began to reveal more spiritual gifts in all of us. We began to grow deeper in our faith and church began to feel more like our home. 

Your gift may not be the guitar. Or any instrument. It may be something that you think God can’t use. But the truth is…He can. The Church is a symphony of gifts being used in perfect harmony with one another. Just like a family serves one another, we, as a church, serve each other. And, as we read in Romans, it is yet anoretic way to worship God.

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. (Romans 12:1)

- How has God gifted you? (If you’re not sure, you can take a look at this assessment for some help)

- What are your passions? What “wakes you up” in the morning?

- What have you learned over the years that might possibly help someone else?

 

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