Craftsmanship
Description
Definition
A craftsman is someone with special skill, ability, and knowledge in a craft such as woodworking, sculpting, sewing, metalworking, jewelry, and so on. They frequently work with a variety of specialized tools and may be as adept at designing their work as they are at completing it. They are usually known for their skill at working with their hands.
The Old Testament includes examples of God using skilled craftsmen to create items for the tabernacle and priests. “Tell all the skilled men to whom I have given wisdom in such matters that they are to make garments for Aaron, for his consecration, so he may serve me as priest” (Exod. 28:3). Again: “He has filled them with skill to do all kinds of work as craftsmen, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen, and weavers–all of them master craftsmen and designers” (Exod. 35:35).
It is clear from these verses and their context that the craftsmen produced items that others needed to perform their tasks. Craftsmen usually enjoy making tangible items and resources that others need or consider useful, beneficial, or pleasing.
Your skill as a craftsman enables you to produce quality work that others admire. It also gives you insight that allows you to create your own designs and produce finished products from scratch. You may become very creative in the items you produce. Your personal emphasis is on the practical, usable, and tangible; this also applies to the tools you collect and use in your craft. You may prefer to work behind the scene for several reasons: you don’t want people interfering with your work, you prefer not to show your work until it is finished to your satisfaction, or you need very little public appreciation and recognition because your greatest fulfillment is in your personal accomplishment.
You are likely to have high quality standards, for both your work and your equipment. You may also be very focused in your work, doing one project at a time and having very few additional interests. Due to your focus and high standards, you may become preoccupied with your project to the point of obsession, or even become a perfectionist trying to achieve an unattainable high quality. Because you appreciate quality, you are willing to invest money in good tools and materials, and invest time in developing your skills. Your concern for quality and details also makes you cautious in making decisions.
You rely heavily on what you see and experience, so you are very aware of physical reality and your sensory responses. Your keen awareness of details and how each affects the finished product can make your work very detailed and interesting. You may be strongly intuitive, sensitive to feelings and impressions, how they affect your creativity, and how your work provokes them in others. The more intuitive you are, the more creative you will be and the greater variety of works you are likely to produce.
Recognizing the quality of your work is different from being proud of what you did. At each stage of creation, God looked at what He had created and said, “It is good.” When He finished, He looked at everything He had done and said, “It is very good.” Because pride is an integral part of sinful nature, we might think God was proud of His workmanship, but pride is sin and therefore not a part of God’s nature. Because He is creative, He probably derived satisfaction from the creative process and the finished product met His quality standards, so He evaluated His work as “very good.” That is not pride, however. As you develop spiritually, you can be satisfied with the quality you produce without being proud of your accomplishment.
Some craftsmen are very creative, so they have an aptitude for fine arts, such as sculpting. However, craftsmanship is using one’s skills to get a job done, even if done creatively. The emphasis of fine arts is on communicating a message or soliciting a subjective response, while the emphasis of craftsmanship is on producing something useful or beneficial.
Typical Characteristics
● Enjoy working with your hands and tools, designing and building tangible works.
● Your work is often detailed, even immaculate.
● Focus on the usable and tangible, such as tools and the practical items you create.
● Very high standards for your work and your equipment.
Tendencies
● General Orientation: probably introverted. Able to spend time alone developing your skills and producing your works.
● Priorities: physical objects, equipment. Your emphasis is on crafting objects, so your tools and finished products are important to you. Productivity will not be a high priority because your concern is for skillful quality, not quantity.
● Orderliness, probably dependent on your mental style:
● A sensory mental style may cause you to develop a more organized environment for yourself.
● The more strongly intuitive you are, the less concern you are likely to have for orderliness.
Misunderstandings
Your great interest in quality tools and equipment can make you appear very materialistic, but your interest is probably in the quality products these items can help you produce.
Vocations and Roles
Even if you are not a skilled craftsman or tradesman by profession, you will likely be drawn to “hands-on” jobs or work related to equipment. You will select hobbies that allow you to work with your hands and use your creativity.
Perversions
Self-Centeredness
(Perverts your aptitude by focusing it on you, emphasizing the pleasure or fulfillment it gives you.)
Due to your unusual skill and high quality standards, you could easily become arrogant about your skills and accomplishments. Even wanting to receive recognition for your work is an expression of self-centeredness. Also, you can become materialistic about your tools, gratified with simply owning powerful or quality tools, even if you don’t often use them.
Extremes
(Perverts by exaggerating, taking your characteristics and tendencies to extremes.)
You can become dissatisfied unless you are working with your hands; you have to be “doing” something. You could become a perfectionist or be obsessed with your work.
Control
(Self-centeredness makes you want to be in control, and you struggle for control in a way that is unique to your character.)
When performing work for someone else, it is very likely your standards will be higher than theirs, or that you will have a different idea about what should be done. In that situation, you are likely to seize control by doing the work by your standards, ignoring what the other person wants.
Redemption
Putting on Important Traits
Certain godly character traits are especially important to you as a craftsman. Consciously developing the following traits will help you produce items that others consider useful and beneficial.
● Humility (Considers self relatively unimportant compared to others; prevents using abilities for one’s own satisfaction.) This will allow you to create works of art without drawing attention to yourself or being proud of your work.
● Agape (Considers others’ welfare, needs, interests, and desires more important than your own; motivates you to act for others’ benefit regardless of personal impact.) You should focus your attention on how your work will benefit others.
● Faith or faithfulness (Firm conviction regarding something for which there is no proof; action based on such conviction.) plus perseverance (Patient endurance.) Together these will cause you to continue striving to give birth to the object conceived in your mind.
● Self-control (Restraint; temperance; moderation in thought, action, or feeling.) Self-control helps you: (1) develop and properly use your skills; (2) handle the frustration caused by problems with your tools and materials; (3) know when you have invested enough effort in a given project.
Repentance, Renewing Your Mind
(The changes you need to make in the way you think, including your attitudes, standards, priorities, and perspective.)
The ultimate use of your craft is to produce tangible items that others need or consider useful and beneficial. In addition, you honor the people who use your products by exceeding their standards for quality, appearance, and functionality. Providing higher quality at no extra cost is exceptional service.
Denying and Humbling Yourself
(Rejecting your own desires and self-interests. Refusing to be motivated by desire for recognition or credit for the results.)
You must reject the self-centeredness that demands recognition for your work. If hired for a particular project, you also need to produce items that meet your client’s standards; you cannot drive up the cost, for example, by insisting on extremely high quality because “that’s how I work.” To produce extra quality at no additional cost is a service to your customer.
Taking up Your Cross
(Accepting that which has potential for great harm, threatens to break you down, or reveals your inadequacies.)
You may have to accept a project, producing what you consider inferior quality, knowing it may adversely affect your name and reputation. Then it becomes especially important to trust God to take care of you.
Following Jesus
(How you uniquely imitate Jesus by doing what He would in your situation.)
Jesus came to earth on a mission of service. He served God by doing His will and He served people by doing what they could not do for themselves. You follow His example by using your skills as a craftsman to produce worthwhile products for others.
Becoming Like a Child
(Accepting what God gives you, believing what He tells you, trusting Him to take care of you, and simply doing what He says.)
You invest additional time to increase the quality of your work and you may not get paid for all the extra work you do. You must trust God to provide for your needs as you faithfully serve others. Also, you can be content with the tools and materials He has given you instead of insisting on having the newest and best.