Second Place

One of the great orchestra conductors of all time was Leonard Bernstein. Once he was asked, “What is the most difficult instrument to play?”

Quickly he answered, “Second violin. I can get many first violinists, but to find someone who can play second violin with great enthusiasm - that is a difficult problem to solve.”

Why do orchestras need those who play second violin, second trumpet or second clarinet? Without them there is no harmony and without harmony there would be no beauty in life. Being willing to be “second” to someone else brings an added depth and breadth and width to the work of our Lord.

Selfishness can bring disaster to the life work and responsibilities of the church. That is why God is always looking for men and women who will fill in the lesser positions in His Kingdom - those who will put Him first and bring beauty and harmony to His creation.

However, to be “second” requires humility. It means having a true perspective about ourselves and our identity in Christ. In Him we find our worth and discover that we have great value to Him as we do what He wants us to do. There may be times when we measure our self-worth by the world’s standards. But our true worth, our value to God, comes from our being faithful to Him even if it means we must play “second violin” in God’s orchestra.

Prayer: Father, give us the grace and courage to be where You want us to be and do what You want us to do when You ask us to play “second violin.” In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for Today: Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. Philippians 2:1-4