Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will serve before kings; he will not serve before obscure men. — PROVERBS 22:29
King Solomon penned most of the proverbs in Scripture, and he knew this one from first-hand experience.
The key accomplishment of his 40-year term was building the Temple of the Lord (1 Kings 6-7), a massive seven-year project. Every detail mattered; this would be the epicenter of worship to the One True God. Only the best craftsman could be trusted to work on the furnishings that would facilitate that worship.
So Solomon chose Huram of Tyre, who “was highly skilled and experienced” (1 Kings 7:14). Huram “did all the work assigned to him,” the Temple was dedicated, filled with God’s presence and well on its way to being a “house of prayer for all nations.”
That story matters for our work today. It gives us a new perspective for how God uses good work and gives us motivation to work with excellence in our everyday work.
Here is what we can take from Solomon and Huram:
The application today is pretty simple: “whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord” (Colossians 3:23). Just this simple shift in perspective can have a monumental impact in the quality of your work and the quality of your work experience.
Think and pray
You are always standing before the King in your work, and that should be enough motivation to work with excellence. As you do, you will often find yourself in a position to have great influence and credibility for Him before the “kings” of the marketplace. And you can hit the pillow at night knowing that your hard work had purpose today.
Lord, help me to give You my best effort today out of gratitude for what You’ve given me. Thank You also for this platform to demonstrate Your love, patience and kindness to others. Amen.
Ben Kirksey is the VP, General Manager for Workmatters and Director of Workmatters Institute. He is a graduate of the University of Arkansas (2006, Economics and Political Science), and alumnus of Teach for America. He realized a passion for integrating faith and work while at Northstar Partnering Group (now Field Agent™) and subsequently co-founded the Workmatters Institute in 2010, joining Workmatters to lead the Institute full time in 2013.