Building the Kingdom

The topic of skilled trades has become one of the most pressing conversations in modern society. Skilled workers have become scarce, and hiring managers struggle to find experienced craftsmen. Even as homeowners we find it hard to locate someone qualified to make repairs to our yards and dwellings - a plumber who answers the phone, an electrician who shows up on time, a carpenter who takes pride in his finish work.

Yet for all the cultural conversation about the trades, today's Christian literature does not speak to the hearts of the modern craftsman. The distinctive spiritual needs of the skilled laborer often go under-appreciated or overlooked entirely. The man who comes home with calloused hands and sawdust in his hair rarely finds a book written for him on the shelf at his local Christian bookstore.

But if one searches the Scripture, a remarkable discovery awaits. The Bible is filled with craftsmen, artisans, builders, and skilled workers - men and women whom God called by name, equipped with specific abilities, and employed in the service of His kingdom. Among them: architects and builders, boatbuilders and fishermen, carpenters and woodworkers, embroiderers and weavers, farmers and shepherds, foundrymen, glassmakers, jewelers, masons, musicians, soldiers, tentmakers, and physicians.

The intent of this book is to illustrate how God uses, loves, and appreciates the efforts of the skilled laborer. He Himself is our example of the perfect artisan - having designed and created the universe, our world, and mankind with breathtaking precision and beauty. He also created work. Yes, that four-letter word we all love to hate. Yet mankind was created for work, and work was created for mankind. We yearn to be useful - to fulfill a purpose. Without meaningful labor, a person searches life for significance.