In what ways can we use our skills to serve God today? Setting the Scene: Skilled Hands at Work “All the skilled craftsmen among the workmen made the tabernacle with ten curtains of finely twisted linen and blue, purple, and scarlet yarn; they were made with cherubim skillfully worked into them.” (Exodus 36:8) • Israel’s worship center did not drop out of the sky; it emerged from gifted people willing to pour themselves into God’s project. • Their needlework, carpentry, metalwork, and weaving turned raw material into a dwelling place for the Lord’s presence. God-Given Skills Are Sacred Tools • God Himself “filled” Bezalel and Oholiab with “wisdom, understanding, and ability in all kinds of craftsmanship” (Exodus 31:1-6; 35:30-35). • Talents are not random; they are deliberate deposits from the Creator, meant to be stewarded, not buried (Matthew 25:14-30). • “Each of you should use whatever gift he has received to serve one another” (1 Peter 4:10). Ways to Put Your Craft to Work Today • Trade skills: electricians wiring church buildings, mechanics maintaining mission vehicles, plumbers installing clean-water systems for shelters. • Creative arts: designers producing evangelistic media, musicians leading heartfelt worship, writers crafting devotional content. • Technology: coders building Bible apps, audiovisual teams streaming services to the homebound, data analysts helping ministries steward resources wisely. • Teaching & mentoring: professionals training the next generation, retirees coaching younger believers in life and career. • Hospitality & service: cooks preparing meals for outreach events, decorators creating welcoming spaces, event planners coordinating conferences. “Whatever you do, work at it with your whole being, for the Lord and not for men” (Colossians 3:23). Excellence Reflects the Creator • The Tabernacle curtains were not slap-dash; they were “skillfully worked.” • Quality honors God: “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). • Beauty and precision point people past the craftsman to the Craftsman. Collaboration Builds the Kingdom • No single artisan fashioned the entire sanctuary; it was “all the skilled craftsmen.” • In the church body “there are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:4-7). • Teamwork multiplies impact—woodworkers, metalworkers, and seamstresses side by side then; administrators, musicians, and counselors side by side now. Giving Skills Back to God • Within congregations: maintaining facilities, leading children’s classes, managing finances with integrity. • In the community: volunteering at crisis-pregnancy centers, offering pro-bono legal aid, tutoring under-resourced students. • On the mission field: translating Scripture, constructing wells, training local entrepreneurs. • Everyday workplace: ethical business practices, respectful leadership, evangelistic conversations over coffee. Practical Steps to Activate Your Craft 1. Identify your gifts: list tasks that energize you and receive affirmation from others. 2. Dedicate them: deliberately offer each skill back to God for His purposes. 3. Seek opportunities: ask church leaders where needs intersect your abilities. 4. Partner with others: join existing teams rather than working in isolation. 5. Mentor and multiply: share expertise with younger believers, reproducing skill and passion. 6. Keep growing: enroll in courses, read, practice—sharpened tools serve better. Encouragement for Every Season • Dorcas used a needle to clothe widows (Acts 9:36-39); Paul leveraged tentmaking to support ministry (Acts 18:3). • No craft is too ordinary, no offering too small when placed in the Master’s hands. |
    |