When I was younger, my dad loved a song recorded by Wayne Watson called “The Touch of the Master’s Hand” [affiliate link]. This song, based on a poem, tells the touching story of a violin that was scheduled to be auctioned for just a few dollars until, when it is played by a man who truly understands its value, the crowd realizes what a beautiful instrument it is. The song draws a parallel to how many people are regarded as worthless until their lives are touched by the restorative and revealing power of Christ. As the song concludes:
You know there’s many a man with his life out of tune,
Battered and scared with sin and he’s auctioned cheap,
To a thankless world much like that old violin,
Oh, but then the Master comes,
And that old foolish crowd they never understand,
The worth of a soul and the change that is rought,
Just by one touch of the Masters hand.
It’s a compelling reminder of how Christ can transform a broken life into something that is beautiful. We may not see the worth of another person, but their Maker certainly does. Through His work in their life, the beauty that He has created can more fully be revealed.
However, many times we focus so much on the restorative power of Christ, that we neglect to realize that He doesn’t just want to restore us so that we are something beautiful to look at, but He desires that our lives would be used for His glory. To keep the parallel of the song, our lives are to be used by the Master to make beautiful music. How we act should sing of His greatness. How we respond should be with the melodies of His love.
In other words, our rescue isn’t just about being saved (although thankfully He does that through the redemptive power of His Son’s death and resurrection); our rescue is for the purpose of being used. Our goal should be to be instruments of His purpose – not for our own benefit, but for His Kingdom.
The Master doesn’t want to just save us from this “thankless” world; He wants to use us in the world to draw others to Him.
And because He is the One who is at work within us (Phil 2:13), His sons and daughters can have confidence that however He chooses to use their lives, it will be worth far more than if we never placed ourselves in the Master’s Hands.