One night at a famous jazz bar, legendary jazz musician Cab Calloway introduced a promising young saxophone player. After he’d played, a self-appointed jazz critic came over and said, ‘You aren’t that good, man. All you can do is play like Charlie Parker.’ Well, Cab Calloway took the young man’s saxophone and handed it over to the critic. ‘Here,’ he said, ‘You play it like Charlie Parker.’
Isn’t it true that whenever you are trying to do your best, there’s always somebody around who wants to cut you down? That’s why Jesus said that the only assessment that ultimately counts is the one that God will give to those who’ve made the best of what He gave them: ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you’ve been faithful with what you received…enter the joy of your Lord.’ What matters is what you do with what you’re given.