From the Heart to the Hands

my life lived on mission

I have had the wonderful opportunity recently to be a teacher. The content that I talk about is work through a Christian worldview. As I teach my students, and consistently study this topic, I have learned much over the past couple of years. One of the joys of teaching is that I am also a student. Not because I am that good of a teacher but rather because I am always willing to learn. Through my class, I have come to a couple of observations. Being a Christian in the workplace is not a unique phenomenon to the world though at times it could seem like it. And with increasing cultural pressure it does seem profoundly difficult to find an unashamed Christian in a "secular" workspace.

These observations have then led me to several questions which I have held in my mind in these recent years. As someone who enjoys working with their hands and believes that they are given a passion and a calling to work, I want to explore this firsthand and test it with my own life.

How does a layman learn theology? One brick at a time is what I would say. I work maintenance for a high school but I am also a counselor. On the same day, I can dig a ditch, plaster a hole in drywall, and counsel a young man that is experiencing conflict at home. Though I wear several hats – maintenance man, husband, frisbee player, counselor – these all go under a bigger, more broad heading: Christian. I often think of the passage in the New Testament when several types of people go up to John the Baptist and ask him questions. He does not tell any of them to stop what they are doing and go on mission trips, but he does tell them to do the right thing for their jobs. They were not supposed to take bribes, tax only to what they were authorized, and to share their tunics and food, if available. What would John the Baptist tell me to do if I approached him and asked the same questions?

As someone who loves to work with their hands and at the same time loves to think, I find that God has uniquely placed me in my work for me to grow and sharpen these skills. I have been blessed with many opportunities and examples of hard-working men and women who also are capable of thinking widely and intelligently. I believe oftentimes that labor-oriented jobs are often looked down upon. I would strive to change that way of thinking. And I believe that it is perfectly feasible, though not necessarily easy to do so. But it all starts somewhere, for me, and I think for many others, it starts in the heart.

As a Christian, my final allegiance is to Christ. Everything I am and want to be is submitted to Jesus. Now that my life has a renewed purpose and directed plan my aim is to strive to learn the will of God for my life so that I can give Him glory for all that he is and has done. This takes the consistent evaluation of oneself and diligence to please God in whatever I do. Philippians states that I must work out my salvation in fear and trembling. To me this means that I must evaluate where I stand before God. I am saved but I am pleasing God and striving for the upward call of Christ? Or am I coasting, wishing for the “good life”, and working to live out my days comfortably in retirement? These are not easy questions to answer and sometimes the answers are not quick to appear.

This requires a measure of diligence and consistently humbling oneself before God. I often have to remind myself to be content with today and trust that God will lead me where I am supposed to be. James says that we must trust God’s will when we go somewhere or make plans. To do otherwise is boasting and sinful. I think this is a wonderful picture of life, there is active planning and action on our part and total trust and dependence on God. Like a good son, I must learn about my Father, and as my Father teaches me about himself and his desires, I grow to be more like him and also more like myself. In Christ, I have total freedom to pursue Christ and the plan that he has for me. I am freed from sin and the burdens of life. I am not saying that it is easy, I often get distracted and start carrying my old burdens around with me. But daily, I must trust my Savior and continually submit myself to Him.

Coming back around to being a layman. Jesus was a carpenter and a skilled tradesperson, but he also spent loads of time in the temple and synagogues. Paul was a pharisee, but he also was a tentmaker. The Bible gives us examples of using skilled labor while also leveraging it as a tool for ministry. When God blesses his creation by giving them certain talents it is our responsibility to use those blessings as God intended. When we give gifts to our friends and family there is an intent for how they should be used. Even if they are freely given. When we are given the gift of faith, it is our responsibility to believe in God and repent of our sins. When Paul had the experience on the road to Damascus he was radically changed, but now he had to responsibly use the vast knowledge of his learning for the glory of God the Father.

We are laymen and laborers... I feel like I can call myself that. But maybe not. 43% of the U.S. are skilled tradespeople. And that number is decreasing every year. My desire is to learn to become a Master plumber and use that skill to help others. Eventually, opening my own shop and working from there. But that is 5-7 years from now. Who knows where God will have my family and me at that point. But that does not stop me from planning and acting on those plans. When God shows me what he has planned and that is different than what I am doing, then I will change. But as I prayerfully make decisions and strive to honor my Lord with those, then I am trusting that I am operating in the will of God.

I would encourage anyone reading this to do the same. Make plans and strive to follow through with them. Work hard and think big. Small steps lead to more small steps but pretty soon you will have walked a mile. God takes care of every single thing in the universe every single day in every single way. Nothing escapes his gaze or his care. He will surely take care of me. I can clearly see the evidence of where he has been over the past six years of my life, and even beyond that. But, first, it takes submission and trust. I must submit my life and plans to God and trust that he will watch over me. If God, who made Saturn and the sparrow, says he will care for me, then I will trust that.

Ultimately, I desire to fulfill any call that God has sent. I believe that he has given me a passion to work with my hands and labor. There is a subtle beauty in this kind of work, rebuilding, repairing, and creating. Though at times it seems futile because the grass always grows back and things eventually break... again, I know that it is never fruitless. Everything I do I can do for one specific purpose, the glory of Jesus Christ and I can also do it for several general purposes, like my family, my job, and personal fulfillment. My greatest delight should be in God and I trust that he will place me right where I need to be to do exactly what he has planned.