Psalm 46:10  "Be still, and know that I am God”

It was a cold January morning at a Metro Station in Washington DC in 2007.  Over a thousand people passed through that station that particular morning in the midst of their commute which they did by foot and public transportation.  Most did not even notice the man playing the violin near one of the doors[1].


The man played his most exquisite six classical pieces for the next 43 minutes.  The musician played continuously.  Only seven people stopped and listened for a short while. Every child that passed was intrigued by the sound that came out, but the parents would shove them along.  About twenty gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. One man listened for nine minutes.  Only one woman recognized the man playing the instrument.  The man collected a total of $32 and change. 


No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, he played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars.  As was reported in the Washington Post, Bell was a onetime child prodigy and has arrived as an internationally acclaimed virtuoso. He packs music halls where a mediocre seat would draw $100 each.  He would play to a standing-room-only audience so respectful of his artistry that they stifled their coughs until the silence between movements. But on that Friday in January, Joshua Bell was just another mendicant, competing for the attention of busy people on their way to work.[2]”


This was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people’s priorities.  You see, as accomplished as Joshua Bell is and though he is technically magnificent and can play a violin that moves people, they are still focused on the rigors of their life that they don’t stop to understand the magnificent things that enter their life.  This little experiment raised several questions:  How do we perceive something great?  How do we perceive beauty?  And do we ever stop to appreciate it?  Do we recognize greatness out of context? 

One person commenting on this wrote:  “If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made…How many other things are we missing as we rush through life?[3]"


Here is the lesson for today:  After reading this I couldn’t help but apply this to the Christian life.  How often in the Christian life do we come into and out of church without stopping to ponder the magnificence of the service?  Do we sit in the pews EXPECTING to meet Christ?  Are we prepared to be in the awesome presence of God?  We need to be still and worship the ONE TRUE God.

[1] http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/04/AR2007040401721.html By Gene Weingarten,Washington Post Staff Writer, Sunday, April 8, 2007
[2] Washington Post
[3] http://www.facebook.com/WeddingLiveBandTheRawNote

" Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for  the Lord, not for men."  Colossians 3:23

Have you ever observed a group of children work on something when they know something better is coming up immediately after?  They may be making cards or another craft project.  Yet, they know game time is coming up next.  There seems to be two types of workers.  There are the crew that has the "let's just do this and get done" attitude and they were whipping through construction paper like nobody's business.  After all what they really wanted to do next was far more fun than this craft!  To them simply getting the task completed was most important. 

The other set of students will be working diligently and meticulously, so that each card became a work of art.  For them it is the quality of work that counted. They put heart and soul in, so that the results were the best they could give.

Have you ever noticed this?  This same type of attitude can also be seen in adults.  When you look at your daily life, whether at work or school, with friends or family, where would you place yourself? Is it quality, or simply getting it done that matters most?  I can almost hear many

people saying, "Well, quality of course!" Does your life reflect that?  Think about your interaction with your relationships, whether it is your children or your parents or your spouse.  Maybe it is a relationship with coworkers, clients, or friends.  I often hear that relationships are about quality, not quantity.  That is true but not the best we can give.  What I tell people is that it is the quantity of quality that is in the relationship that counts!

Take a moment and take stock. In the verse above, Paul tells the Colossians and us, what our attitude should be – not one where we can just get by, but an attitude of excellence and worship!  Whatever we do, whenever we do it…we need to remember that we are doing it for the Lord and we  serve the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords – does he not deserve our best?  We are called to excellence not only in our worlds of "work," but in our daily lives as well.

Jim Elliot, a martyred missionary, said this:  "Wherever you are – be all there."  Whatever you are doing at the moment – be 100% there.  Weave excellence into your entire life.  Give full attention to those you are around.  Serve those around you so diligently and with the same attitude of excellence as if you are serving royalty!  Jesus gave His best for us – can we do any less?

Here is the lesson for today:  take an inventory of your attitude toward all of those things in your life that you deem highly important.  Do you need to change your attitude toward them?  Are you serving God with an attitude of excellence in that area?  If not, what can you do to change your attitude and performance in that area?  Also, are you 100% percent there on every conversation and relationship in your life?  Remember, Jesus gave His best for us – can we do any less?

**note that this was based on a Faith@Work devotion given by Leiff Erickson.

While I was growing up, I would read the box scores of the previous day’s professional baseball games.  I would see who had good games and who was entering a slump.  I came across a rookie that was having an incredible year for the Minnesota Twins.  I followed every game and tracked how he was doing in the overall stats.  Kirby Puckett went on to have a great rookie season and subsequent seasons.  That year, he and the MN Twins gained a fan for life.  I followed Kirby’s career until the very end.  I had pictures of him on my wall.  I kept magazines where he had graced the front cover.  I would watch him play on TV whenever I could.  When I graduated college and moved to MN, I went to see him play in person.  I was more than a fan.  I knew every detail about him. 

 So much so, that when I played high school baseball, my coach was upset because I had a front leg kick that was unconventional.  Guess who else had an unconventional leg kick?  Kirby Puckett.  My coach thought that I doing it just to be like Kirby.  I had gotten to the point where I was even mimicking his flaws! 

Without even knowing it…I had become a “disciple” of Kirby Puckett.  I was learning everything he did and said.  I clung to every word and baseball technique he taught. 

Matthew 9:9 describes Jesus calling out to Matthew.. “As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector's booth. "Follow me," he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.”

This one verse discusses the first step of becoming a follower of Jesus.  You must first answer the call.  Jesus went into the most unusual place to find a follower…into the booth of a tax collector.  This made some people raise an eyebrow since tax collectors were liars, cheaters, and scoundrals.  Yet Jesus called out to Matthew despite knowing full well that Matthew did not meet the profile of a believer, yet.  Jesus called on people to follow him.  To become a disciple.  That is cling to every word and deed of Jesus.  Learn from every single aspect of His life until you emulate everything Jesus did.  Everything.  Matthew did not begin following that day because he was perfect.  He followed Jesus that day because he was a sinner in the need of a Savior.  He responded out of obedience.  Did you notice that Matthew did not ask a bunch of questions.  He didn’t say “I will need to think about it”.  He didn’t say I will need to sell everything slowly to get the best price…he simply got up and followed.  What did he do after he followed?  Matthew was with Jesus every moment he could be.  He was present for healings, baptisms, teachings, and miracles.  Jesus poured his life into all his disciples…Matthew included.

Here is the lesson for today:  Jesus is calling you to be a disciple.  To learn from his teaching…to discuss the different aspects of your life.  You are to emulate him every way you can.