Life is made up of two components: time and talent. Stewardship is the management of our time and talent to the glory of God. Time is given equally to every individual. Talents are given diversely. Some have many. All have at least one.
When we think of talents, often what comes to mind first is singing, public speaking, writing or art. These, of course, are talents that can be used effectively in the mission of the church. But equally valuable are talents of cooking, caring for children, growing food, and building, repairing vehicles and inputting computer data. Every skill of every church member is valuable to the Lord's work.
"Then Moses called Bezabel, Oholiah and all the other skilled people to whom the Lord had given skills, and they came because they wanted to help with the work," (Exodus 36:2, NCV). Bezabel and Oholiah were experts at working with gold, silver and bronze, as well as other crafts, and their skills were particularly valuable in building the wilderness tabernacle.
Years ago, when I was pastor of the Cedar Creek Church in Woodland, Washington, there was a new business called Hayes Cabinets located across from the church. In those early days, sometimes the Sabbath School lesson was studied during lunch break, and Pastor Max considered himself the cabinet-shop chaplain.
Today the company is known all over the Northwest for its exceptional quality and fine craftsmanship — a reputation you would expect of Adventist Christians. When we were looking for a new home in the area, many classified ads mentioned Hayes Cabinets by name as a home feature enhancing both quality and function. Now many Adventist churches and schools in the Portland, Oregon/Vancouver, Washington, area contain work done by Hayes Cabinets. Here at the North Pacific Union Conference office, we are often complimented on our building and especially the skillfully crafted cabinets and board tables — all work done to the glory of God by Hayes Cabinets.
Every time I walk into the office, I am thankful for church members like Bezabel and Oholiah and Loren and Frank and Louise too. They faithfully and generously have used their talents for the Lord's work. And who is to say whether preaching a sermon or building a cabinet is of greater value? After all, Jesus was first a carpenter.
