3 and because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them.
Paul the apostle was a tentmaker! In a desert climate, tents were very important. They were a matter of survival, not just a luxury item used on vacation. Paul was not above working with his hands. He was not just a Jewish scholar, but he had a trade. He knew how to work hard. He knew the value of money. He knew how to be part of a team. He didn’t have to be in charge. He is traveling and he is able to just jump in with some fellow tentmakers and earn his keep. Sometimes we forget the value of work because for many of us work is an unpleasant experience. But even when it is an unpleasant experience, it is a necessary experience. Part of God’s design for us was work. This work would be fruitful both in what was accomplished and in the value it worked into our lives. When we work, we receive two paychecks, one external and one internal. Our company pays us one. We notice our checkbook balance rising when we get that one. The other is added to our character. So often we focus on the external rewards of work that we miss the internal rewards. Even when we are doing something that we find less than fulfilling it can yield fruit in our character. We do it for different reasons. Perhaps we do it to meet the needs of our family. Or maybe to meet the needs of someone else, like when we volunteer to put the roof on someone’s house. Work can yield two profits. The bank account will deplete. Our character can last, continuing to build over years. If we work only for the external, the end of our life might be a very poor life. But if we add to the external the internal, our lives can become very rich indeed. I want to encourage you to look at your work and see the value it can add to your character. Focus on the character building aspects of the work. Work as unto the Lord and not to people. Allow the work to work for you, building character that will last.
The Arnold Journey 