Stewardship Before Hardship

 I just finished watching an episode of Unsung about the connection between Alexander O'Neal and Cherrelle. They were a famous RnB duo from the 80s who did quite well as individual artists. Their most famous song together is "Saturday Love". I was introduced to it a few years ago and it's been out for a few decades. The vibe is intoxicating and too addictive to ignore. Awesome song! What stuck out the most about Alexander O'Neal was his unique voice. Hands down, he has one of the best voices...ever! I fell in love with "If You Were Here Tonight" back in 2004 when I heard it over the radio late at night. I thought, who is that? Fast forward to 2011 where both Alexander and Cherrelle perform their famous hit at the BET Awards. Considering their age, Cherrelle didn't sound too bad. What surprised me was Alexander's voice. There was something off because it didn't have the same quality it did when I was first introduced to it. Something changed...and I later found out what that was specifically.

The above documentary expresses Alexander's addiction to drugs during the peak of his career. He states that it evolved into a necessity out of a habit. He was treated at rehabs, hoping to drop the issue. Despite his efforts, the process affected his voice, not granting him the golden vocals to which fans were accustomed. It was difficult to believe the same voice I heard nearly twenty years ago belonged to this gentleman who could barely breathe during a performance. This can't be his voice I thought to myself after listening to his hits and album Hearsay (1987). Even now as I listen to "Sunshine", I think, that was a drastic change. Alexander, like most of us, are blessed with gifts and talents we were made to steward with the best intentions. Some of us are given so much time to get on the right track before God allows things to fall apart. It is then we are stripped of what we have to acknowledge what we never lost...and that's a way back home. 

The parody of the servants and the talents in the Bible is one of the most iconic to recall (Matthew 25:14-30). It sums up the case of three individuals given a certain amount of talents in which to invest their time, energy, and resources. Two of the servants went on to double what they were given while the other did not, returning with the same amount by which he started. God's main question in this scenario is "How did you use what I gave you?" Most importantly, "Did you use it all for my glory?" I'm certain at some point, Satan uses distractions to keep us from doing that which we were called to complete. Alexander's distraction was the usage of cocaine. At some point, the weight of cocaine outweighed his talent, causing a downfall that affected himself and everyone he loved. The beautiful thing about God's grace is He's willing to remove the talent if it means decreasing the distance between us...and Himself. 

Maybe Alexander O'Neal is back in good standing with God. Maybe he's closer than he's ever been. That's a good thing, of course, because that's where we were designed to be...forever. Listening to Alexander reminds me to invest in what I was given, maximizing it all...only to bring it back to God. That's the trend of life. He gives us life to steward...so we can give it back decorated and drenched in addition and multiplication. Ask yourself, what am I doing with what I was given? If you feel you are not doing enough, it's time to reevaluate your decisions. Invest in what you are given like God invests in us.