May 24th

I have always been a fan of magic, both the big, stagey stuff perfected by the likes of Doug Henning and David Copperfield, and the smaller slight of hand stuff practiced by people like David Blaine and Criss Angel. The fascination for me lies in two completely different areas, just as the two types of magic feature completely different techniques.
Big, Las Vegas style magic relies as much on technology as it does tricking the viewer; small, slight of hand stuff, depends much more on the perfection of personal skills, not the least of which is the confidence to do your tricks within inches of the audience. Perhaps this confidence is in itself the biggest “trick” of them all, because it’s one of the hardest things to come by.
Let me give you an example, or at least a general case overview. I deal a lot with musicians, mostly pianists and organists. These folks are generally both talented and studious, since their particular gift, like slight of hand magic, depends on the gift of dexterity coupled with lots and lots of practice. In order for David Blaine to pull of his tricks directly in front of a fascinated view, his every motion must be absolutely perfect; there is simply no room for error when you’re being eyeballed only inches away. Similarly, a pianist has to be virtually note perfect when a room full of people are depending on her to lead them in song.
What I’ve noticed, however, is that very few musicians have the kind of over the top confidence that Criss Angel, David Blaine, Doug Henning or David Copperfield enjoy. In fact, a lot of the best pianists and organists I know suffer from a complete lack of self-confidence, sometimes to the point of barely believing in themselves. Nevertheless, they continue to perform their music and lead worship without hesitation or any signs of trepidation. About the only sign of their poor self-image is a tendency for some to turn down the volume of their instrument, when possible, or to simply play very softly.
I have no problem with this. I full well understand how hard it is to believe in oneself, having been there myself. As long as it’s not debilitating, that is as long as it doesn’t keep someone from doing their job well, it doesn’t bother me if someone lacks self-confidence. It simply means that I have to do my best to encourage them, and to help them understand both their giftedness, and the fact that it’s OK for them to celebrate what God has given them.
I also have no problem with this issue because I know that no matter what folks might think about themselves, God always believes in them. God knows who and what they are, what their gifts are, what there limits might be, and appreciates them in every way possible. Folks don’t always realize this; in fact, many talented people don’t even realize that God is pulling for them. Quite the opposite in fact: folks who don’t believe in themselves often don’t think God thinks much of them.
Nothing could be further from the truth for any of us. God believes in us in all circumstances. And why not, since it was God Himself who blessed us with our talents, whether they are those of a magician or a musician. So even though we might not think too highly of ourselves, you can be sure that God never has any doubt about us. At least that’s the way I see it.