Skill

I read Exodus 28 in my bible reading today. Sometimes I think people get bogged down in these latter chapters of Exodus with all the meticulous details about the tabernacle and various procedures. I know I have before! 

But, upon further reflection, these chapters reveal to us that God is a God of order and detail. And in the 1st 15 verses of chapter 28 the word 'skill' pops up 5 times (in the ESV). It begins in verse 3:

"You shall speak to all the skillful, whom I have filled with a spirit of skill, that they make Aaron's garments to consecrate him for my priesthood."

If you've seen pictures of the priestly garments then you know some of the intricate detail. And so, what I want to focus on today is 'skill'. 

If the Lord cared about skill in Exodus 28, and particularly blessed people with certain skills in the making of priestly garments, it's right to think that God still cares about skill today. Here's a few thoughts I have:

1. Worship -

Particularly our corporate gatherings. I certainly think their can be room for spontaneity- a testimony, prayer request, or the like. But my point here is it's not 'unspiritial' to be prepared. To lead in song with skill. To teach and preach with skill. To pray with skill. 

I'm not saying we can't involve people who are new or learning - we most definitely should! But what I am saying is that God has gifted people in the church. And we should carry out these gifts with the skill the Lord has blessed us with. Don't settle for haphazardness in worship. It's not ok to treat Sundays as a tack on to your week and so settle for unskillfulness. If you're a Sunday school teacher - prepare. A song leader - prepare. A pastor - prepare. If all you think you do is 'show up' then you can still prepare. Pray for your own heart and those leading. Pray for how you can be an intentional and skillful blessing to someone else even if you're not sure what that may look like. 

2. Work - 

While the passage in Exodus is not speaking directly to our jobs, I still think there is some application. Work is not a product of the Fall.

No matter what sort of work you are doing today - flipping burgers or building skyscrapers - you can do it with skill. Not lazily. Bring glory to God in your effort and intentionality of doing the best job you can. Even if you're not in your 'career' job yet. Prepare for your career job by being skillful in the work you're doing now. 

3. Home -

There's a lot of blogs and memes today about having a messy home because we are more concerned about time with our kids. I get that. And there's definitely some truth there!

At the same time, let us be skillful in our homes. This is for moms and dads and children. No, we won't have perfect homes! But we can be intentional about doing things around the home with skill. 

We must also be intentional about using the skills God has blessed us with as parents to raise our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. I want to be careful here because I know parents feel so inadequate. However, God has entrusted you with those kids! So pray to Him for help in rearing them faithfully. Make the effort to intentionally point them to Christ. 

Grateful for God's Word this morning. I hope you've been edified.