Mr. B always wanted to be a pianist, and not just a piano player -- a virtuoso. As a young child, he was performing; at eighteen he was the family’s main breadwinner. At twenty-six, however, his hearing became impaired and at thirty-two he came face-to-face with the stark realization that his hearing loss was incurable. By the time he was forty-eight, Mr. B was stone-cold deaf. Yet, his disability made his accomplishments all the more impressive, especially the fact that one of his greatest works, his famous Ninth Symphony was completed five years after his hearing was gone. The Amazing Mr. B (Beethoven) is a reminder of one of God’s “hard work” principles found in Proverbs: “Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty. (Proverbs 21:5 NLT)
God’s principle of planning and hard work is not contingent on our circumstances and situations. Like many of us, Beethoven knew tough times. His father was an alcoholic, and his mother died when he was seventeen. His success journey had no shortcuts. Achievement came at the end of a long road of study, practice and adversity. Beethoven lived much of his life depressed, and understandably so, but in his own words, he was "seizing fate by the throat'. Read closely and you will find good planning and hard work were the prelude to his performances.
When adversity hits and work gets hard, it is a good time to remember the amazing Mr. B. It is even a better time to reflect on our amazing God who promises the sweet music of success if we will only write the score of our life with the notes of hard work: at the office, in the classroom, on the instrument, building the company, pursuing a dream, raising kids, leading the team, and disciplining ourselves for godliness. Want the sweet music of success? Then take a lesson from the Amazing Mr. B and follow God’s hard work principle.
FOCAL POINT: Today, why not keep a music CD or tape close by as a reminder of the Amazing Mr. B and even more of our amazing God who promises the sweet music of success if we will only write the score of our lives with the notes of hard work.