And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory.” Colossians 1:27b
Ever have the nagging feeling that your life isn’t what it was supposed to be?
A mother took her young son to see the famous pianist, Ignacy Jan Paderewski. Hoping to inspire her son to practice piano, she’d purchased seats up front. At some point, the mother became distracted. The boy wandered off and made his way up to the grand piano on stage. To the audience’s shock, he sat down and began to play a simple and clunky tune. Gasps and murmurs filled the hall.
Backstage, Paderewski realized what was happening. Walking onto the stage without a word, he walked up behind the boy. Then, reaching around the child with his own hands, he whispered, “Don’t stop—keep going,” as he began to add a rich, beautiful accompaniment. With that, a flawed, childish tune was transformed into something magnificent.
Whether true or not, the story illustrates this: Just as the child’s tune wasn’t the intended music for the evening, so this life isn’t what it was supposed to be. One pastor puts it like this: “The world is not as it should be, because man, without Christ, is not as he should be … . “[1]
In a life surrendered to God—with His hands on the keyboard, everything changes. Scripture says then “ … Christ lives within you, so … [God’s] Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God” (Romans 8:10). “ … And this is the secret: Christ lives in you” (Colossians 1:27b). Wondering what God’s original plan for you is? “The personal presence of God IS his plan for your life. This is the message of the gospel.”[2]
Jesus longs to make His home in you.
[1] Anderson, Brian, The Book of Acts: The Birth and Spread of the Early Church, Acts 18:23-19:2, YouTube, uploaded by Mission Hills Church, 1 June 2025, https://www.youtube.com/live/oXqc7KTskaU?si=43jCL4hQ6bTTFZgX. Accessed 15 June 2025.
[2] Ibid.
