INSTRUMENTS FROM GARBAGE
Out of a garbage dump in the slums of Cateura, Paraguay rises a sublime sound: an orchestra performing on instruments constructed from recycled trash. Approximately 1,000 residents survive there by picking through 1500 tons of trash dumped daily into the landfill. When Favio Chavez and Luis Sazaren, both professional musicians, witnessed the residents’ deep poverty, they opened a tiny music school. Quickly exhausting their supply of musical instruments, they asked residents to create instruments from recycled materials.
Constructing musical instruments from everyday items (such as buckets and tubs) is nothing new, but this garbage is shaped to form traditional types, including a cello made from an oil can, a drum set that uses X-rays as the skins, and a violin created from a battered salad bowl. The “Recycled Orchestra” plays classical music, folk tunes, and even some rock numbers. Chavez observed, “People realize that we shouldn’t throw away trash carelessly. Well, we shouldn’t throw away people either.”
That’s exactly how God works in our lives. When we come to Christ, He pulls us out of the “garbage heap” of sin, and cleans us up. Transforming us into instruments for His glory, He creates a new life and identity for us. Second Timothy 2:21 declares that we are “instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master.” Romans 6:13 states, “present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness” (ESV).
The Lord is the Great Recycler, using the redeemed garbage in our lives to glorify Him. Virtually every Bible story reflects this principle. Consider Rahab, Samson and Peter— all “losers” in the world’s eyes. But God converted their garbage into fine instruments, producing magnificent music. Likewise, He takes our failures— addiction, abuse, abortion, divorce— to create a sublime sound of transformed lives, arising before His throne as a heavenly refrain.
Our Conductor harmonizes His instruments, forming an orchestra called “The Church.” To human ears, our music may sound a bit like fingernails on a chalk board, but to our Father, the melody is magical. The world may not highly esteem us, but in God’s eyes, we’re His beautiful instruments… and His opinion is all that matters. The next time the enemy whispers in your ear, “You’re nothing but pile of garbage,” just smile and say, “Yes, but I’m God’s redeemed garbage, and we make beautiful music together.”
Principle: We are God’s redeemed garbage— Instruments for His glory.
Promise: God takes our failures and creates beautiful music.
Ponder:
What area of garbage” (our former mistakes) can God transform into an instrument for His purposes?
How does knowing that God transforms us from the “garbage heap” of life into fine instruments help you in your daily struggles?
Pursue: For a deeper dive, study Romans six.
Prayer: “Loving Father, your grace is truly amazing. Only you can take a piece of living garbage and create a living instrument for your glory. Please keep me ‘in tune’ with you.”
Perceptions: Record any ideas God puts on your heart from today’s devotion.