WHAT CAN I DO?

Exodus 35:30--36:1
30 Then Moses said to the Israelites, "See, the Lord has chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, 31 and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability, and knowledge in all kinds of crafts-- 32 to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver, and bronze, 33 to cut and set stones, to work in wood and to engage in all kinds of artistic craftsmanship. 34 And he has given both him and Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach others. 35 He has filled them with skill to do all kinds of work as craftsmen, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple, and scarlet yarn and fine linen, and weavers--all of them master craftsmen and designers. 1 So Bezalel, Oholiab, and every skilled person to whom the Lord has given skill and ability to know how to carry out all the work of constructing the sanctuary are to do the work just as the Lord has commanded."

Ephesians 4:7
To each one of us grace has been given.

Along with hundreds of other tourists, I walked respectfully through the impressive stone halls of Washington National Cathedral.

In sharp contrast to Disney World, this is not a place for adrenaline-rush excitement, but for soul-searching reverence.

Begun in 1907 and completed in 1990 (that's more than 80 years!) the 676-foot-tall cathedral stands as an example of fine artistry and craftsmanship. It also shows what can be done if people combine their skills for a common purpose.

Stonemasons, stained-glass artists, sculptors, metal-smiths, and others decided to work together, doing what they did best, to build a church.

Way back in Old Testament times, something similar happened when the tabernacle was built. Highly skilled workmen combined their God-given abilities to produce an impressive structure that was suitable for worship.

And then, in the New Testament, God began a new building program by forming the church. He likewise used men and women with their unique skills to build it. But it is not constructed with stone and mortar. It's made entirely out of people. And it's a building program that has been going on for nearly 2,000 years. (That makes the 80 years it took to build the National Cathedral seem like a weekend job.)

Ephesians 4 tells us that the work of building the church goes on today. And every follower of Jesus has been given a special skill to use in building His church for God's glory. "To each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it" (v.7).

You and I are gifted craftsmen, and we're building the greatest masterpiece in the world--God's church.

Let's use our gifts to build one another up in Jesus! --Kurt De Haan

DESTINATION POINTS

* What is my God-given skill? (Romans 12:6-8; Ephesians 4:11).
* How can I work to build up other believers--even when life seems so busy?
* Where does all this fit in my list of priorities? Why?

LINKS:
Washington National Cathedral
http://www.cathedral.org/cathedral/

The Church We Need
http://www.discoveryseries.org/q0904

bottom line: Every believer is a church builder.

soul journey