Jesus didn’t make Christian furniture. He made good furniture.
I’m constantly encouraging Christians to stop making such a clear boundary between the secular and sacred in all areas of life. For instance, when it comes to careers, too many Christians view themselves and their work as “Christian filmmaking,” “Christian writing,” “Christian leadership,” “Christian education,” etc.
Certainly there are times when we’re producing a project or product specifically for the Christian market. But even then, when we think of our career in “Christian” terms, the idea that it’s for a limited market or audience can leave us open to doing less than excellent work.
How many times have we heard lines like:
“It’s a Christian movie, so it doesn’t have to compete with Hollywood.”
“It’s a church play, so it doesn’t need to be Broadway quality.”
“It’s a Christian company so we’re not making products for everybody.”
While there are exceptions to everything, it’s important to remember that at his family’s carpenter shop, I have a feeling Jesus didn’t make Christian furniture, he made good furniture. He made furniture for all customers, and built it with the best quality.
That should be our attitude as well. As Christians we are image bearers of Jesus. So whether we work in the secular world, a church, or deal specifically with Christian or ministry projects—it’s not about making a “Christian” version of anything, it’s about reflecting him in everything we do.
And reflecting Jesus demands the best effort of all.
This article originally appeared on PhilCooke.com and is reposted here by permission.
