Craftsmanship

For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. (Psalm 139:13-16 ESV).

Henry Steinway built his first piano in 1836 in the kitchen of his home in Germany. Our photo today is that same piano now displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. He was born in 1797, he would build 482 pianos over the next decade. Eventually, he and his family emigrated to the United States, establishing Steinway & Sons with the goal of manufacturing pianos. It must have sounded like an unlikely business, but within three years, they were manufacturing more than 200 pianos a year. Because of the quality of their craftsmanship, Steinway developed a reputation for excellence. As a result, their pianos were sold the world over. Today, the company so dominates the piano business that an estimated 97% of concert soloists choose to play on a Steinway. All other brands combined account for the other 3%. Some of their pianos sell in the tens of thousands of dollars, with the most expensive being $1.2 million! The Bible reminds us that God is also concerned with craftsmanship. He is concerned with every work being excellent. We see it in the creation. With every day and the work of his purpose the pronouncement is that it was “very good.” When he finishes creation with the capstone of man, God says it was “very, very good.” We also see this concern in the building of the tabernacle. God appointed Bezalel to supervise the design and construction, perfectly preparing and equipping him for this important assignment. Later, God applied the same principles to the building of Solomon’s temple, a magnificent structure built to honor God. Throughout the Scripture we are told how much excellence in his creative activity has shown itself. Because of this truth we can see that God calls each of us to be good stewards of the resources he has given us. He desires us to do work of excellence. He desires us to develop our abilities in everything we attempt. We should be a testimony to the greatness of God in our homes and families, in our careers, and even in our recreation. The reason for this is in the truth of who we are intrinsically. We are the product of his perfect workmanship; and, as such, we ought to reflect that in all we do. My dad taught me that “if it is worth doing, it is worth doing right.” For me that is merely an acknowledgement of the need for “craftsmanship” in whatever I put my hands to do.