What I won't always be

Do not love the work or the things in the world.  If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For all that is in the world – the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions – is not from the Father but is from the world.  And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

-1 John 2:15-17

I read this passage this morning and it reminded of me what Chandler was saying in a sermon a few weeks ago.  He was saying how he wasn't going to be a pastor forever, so he couldn't make that his identity.  I think at the time it was profound, but has since rolled off me until this morning.  

I will not always be a musician, so I can't make that my identity.  I've know for a long time that I can't make my music my identity, but the idea that when I die I will no longer be a musician never occurred to me.  I love music, don't get me wrong.  I also work really hard at it.  But I also know the futility of it.  That no matter how much I work that I can't take it with me.  

This is actually very comforting to me.  I don't have to pretend that all of this matters to me as much as it seems to everyone else.  It gives me licence to fail.  Not that I like to fail and I totally do care about my work and its quality.  But it's not what makes me.  I could write total junk music the rest of my life and Jesus will still love me as if I were Mozart.  I mean look at the Christian music industry...most of it is trite junk but that doesn't mean that they aren't believers.

Anyways, this is a comforting thought, especially this morning when I'm trying to complete my paper on the theme and variations from Webern's Symphonie Op. 21.  I again waited too long to finish it and find myself at Zera at 6 am to write all day until it's due at 6.  

Regardless of this paper, my program, my music, or my circumstances, my sufficiency is in Christ.