Written by Jeff Duncan
The family in Nazareth sat around it every night, not knowing that it was a unique table. Handcrafted years earlier when Jesus was a carpenter, it was a centre piece of the home, where Shabbat was celebrated, hearts were open, lessons were taught, joy was shared. The family didn’t know its history, but heaven saw. Heaven smiled.
God is worshipped in the everyday obedience of our lives, whether it is making a table, making a sales call, answering an email, or whatever job we may have, however menial we may sometimes see it. Jesus worked as a carpenter until he was 30. There were many people of Nazareth who were blessed by Jesus’ craftsmanship, most of them unaware of who He was.
Underemployed?
Underemployment is by definition “not doing work that makes full use of one’s skills and abilities.” If ever there was one who appeared to be underemployed, it would have seemed to be Jesus, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who found himself building tables and chairs and other carpentry items. But was He? If He was being obedient to what the Father had called him to, He was not underemployed. He was right in the centre of the Father’s will, doing exactly what the Father had determined.
I remember times in my career when I felt underemployed. Believing and hoping that I was called to more, I had the choice to despair or to hear His voice and get His reassurance that I was doing what the Father had called me to. These times taught me to worship the Lord with my work, however mundane it sometimes seemed.
We see in Paul’s words to the church in Thessalonica that even the simplest tasks can be used for His glory. Now about your love for one another we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. And in fact, you do love all of God’s family throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more, and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody. 1 Thessalonians 4: 9-12
Underemployed? No. Many years of table-making were what the Father wanted for Jesus. The Father has many tables for each of us to make, so to speak. Father, we say yes to what you call us to on THIS day, and we will trust you with our tomorrows.
