My ten year old grandson, Judah, started taking guitar lessons this year. His teacher is the nationally known Cherryville resident, Darin Aldridge. He and his wife, Brooke, have played in Nashville's Grand Ole Opry more than once. So we are hopeful that if Judah's passion to learn how to play stays hot, and he disciplines himself to practice, he might just learn how to play well.
However, no matter how great the teacher is, or how hard the student practices, if the strings of the guitar are old and frayed, or if they are out of tune, the sound produced by it will please no one.
Recently I took Judah to the house of his Uncle Eric, so that he could change the strings of Judah's guitar. Eric took the time to show Judah how to properly change the strings, so that he can do it for himself in the future.
While Eric was changing the strings, he told us a story about his brother, Scott, who was an avid and talented guitar player. Apparently when Eric's parents bought Scott's first guitar, they also bought a cheap record player and a 45 speed record to use for tuning the guitar. So, because the standard Scott utilized when tuning his guitar was subpar, each string was actually just a bit out of tune. Scott, however, was oblivious to that fact for several years, and practiced and played to the best of his ability with that out of tune instrument.
It was not until some time later that a friend of his perceived that Scott's guitar was tuned too high. The strings were higher off the frets than they should have been. As Jimmy helped Scott correct the situation, Scott realized that the standard he used for tuning was out of whack, and thus his best performance with that guitar would always be a bit off to the trained ear.
As I heard that real life story about the importance of having a good standard, I thought of a spiritual application. You see, many people around the world are trying their best to please their Creator, but because they are following the wrong standard for knowing and serving God, their lives are out of tune with His will and good pleasure. For a majority of such folks, it's not that they are not passionate, or are undisciplined. Listening to the testimony of people like Nabeel Qureshi reminded me of this fact. I highly recommend listening to Nabeel. See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bjv2t7PC7E
Calvary Road Ministries (CRM) exists to "empower Gospel movements among least reached people." The most important thing our ministry does is enable those who are out of tune with their Creator to have access to the Bible in their heart language, or a trade language they already speak. Generally CRM does this by supplying them with an audio NT loaded on to a micro SD card or solar powered MP3 player. We also share God's standard with them by telling them the 42 Bible stories found on the first CRM produced Story Cloth. Whatever the means used, the goal is to provide people with the proper standard for getting in tune with God's will. That worthy goal requires they understand the Gospel of Jesus Christ who is "the only mediator between God and men."
Psalm 1 states that the people blessed of God are those who "delight in the law of the Lord, and on his law they meditate day and night. They will be like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that they do, they prosper." What a beautiful image of being in tune with the will and purposes of the Creator!
David
