Facing the Music

I once read that the expression “face the music” originated in Japan with the Imperial Orchestra. It was very prestigious to belong to this particular orchestra, and there was a certain man who desperately wanted to join. He wanted to play for the emperor, but had no musical talent. This man happened to be very wealthy, so he offered the conductor a large amount of money if he would allow him to join the prominent orchestra.

The conductor accepted the man’s offer and gave him a flute. He told him that when the orchestra played, he was to simply hold the flute to his lips and move his fingers so he would convince people that he was playing. So the man became a member of the Imperial Orchestra. He pretended to play his flute, everyone thought he was a great musician, and his dream of performing before the emperor had been fulfilled.

But one day, a new conductor took over. He wanted to find out how good the musicians were, so he announced he would be auditioning every musician in the Imperial Orchestra. The man was terrified, because he could not play a single note. His pretending had caught up with him, and he was forced to admit he was a fake. He couldn’t “face the music.”

A day will come when we will stand before God himself. And though certain people may have done a brilliant job of fooling other people, they will have to face the music. If they are not the real thing, it will show.

How will you play? Perhaps you think you can fool other people, and maybe you can. But you cannot fool God.