Perspective: You Have a Drum

Merry Christmas from the Wayside!


You Have a Drum

Scripture:

...they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the Child with Mary his Mother; and they knelt down and paid Him homage. Then, opening their treasure-chests, they offered Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Matthew 2:9-11

Shall I play for You?
Shall I play for You?
Mary looked at me and nodded
The ox and lamb kept time
I played my drum for Him
I played my best for Christ
I played my best for Christ

Then He smiled at me

From "Little Drummer Boy" as performed by MercyMe

So it's almost Christmas! If your part of the world is like mine, then you have noticed that certain local radio stations have been playing nothing but Christmas music for the past five or six weeks. This fact has its advantages and disadvantages. The good thing about it is that it can help you get into the Christmas spirit. The bad thing is that, if there is a Christmas song that you don't particularly like, you will probably hear it about five hundred times over the course of a few weeks.

One of the better Christmas songs, in my humble opinion, is "The Little Drummer Boy." You probably know the story well, especially if you listen to soft rock stations. A young boy goes to the stable to see Jesus, the newborn King. Unlike the wise men, he is poor, so he cannot afford extravagant things like gold, frankincense, or myrrh. He feels as though he has no gift worthy of a king, but he gives Jesus the one thing that he has to offer Him, a song on his drum. The boy plays his heart out for Jesus, and, when he is finished with his song, the Christ Child looks at him and smiles.

This story is familiar to many of us, but let's step back for a moment and take a different look at this tale. Let's look at it, not just as a cute Christmas story, but as a metaphor for our lives.

Many of us find ourselves wanting to do something great for Christ. Unfortunately, we sometimes look at the things that other people are doing in the world, and we become discouraged. We feel as though we don't measure up to these people. We look at our own abilities and feel as though we have nothing to give, no talents worthy to offer our King. We think that, if we just had the gifts and talents of others, then we would have something to offer Him.

Despite our feelings, though, we each have something that we can offer Christ. We have each been blessed in some way. Maybe we feel as though our gifts and talents do not sparkle like gold or that they are not fragrant like incense or myrrh. The fact of the matter is that we each have a "drum" of some sort. We each have a "song" to play for Jesus through our lives.

Our offering does not have to be something extravagant. The things that Christ values the most are the things that we do to glorify God and to help others. Christ says that whatever we have done for those in need, we have done for Him. ¹ In the Sermon on the Mount, He calls such acts "treasures in Heaven." Unlike earthly treasures that do not last forever, heavenly treasures last for eternity. ²

Another facet of the story that I think is worth noting is the fact that nothing is mentioned of the skill of the boy playing the drum. It simply says that he played his best for the Christ Child. The truth is that you do not have to be a "Ringo Starr" or a "Phil Collins" to play your "drum." You do not have to be the best at what you do to bring an offering to Christ; He simply wants you to do your best.

My exhortation for us all is is that we take our "drums," whatever that means for each of us, and that we play our best for Christ. Let's play our hearts out, hoping that someday, when each of us finally meets Jesus, He'll smile and say "Well done, good and faithful servant." ³


Notes:
1 - Matthew 25:34-40
2 - Matthew 6:19-21
3 - Matthew 25:21