Tentmaking

“Because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them.” Acts 18:3

Before Saul’s conversion on the road to Damascus he lived a very privileged life. Saul had everything according to the world’s standards – power, prestige, respect and wealth but Christ had other plans for his future. When Saul was confronted by Christ Saul was stopped in his tracks. He traded his former life in for Jesus Christ and literally turned away from his old life and took hold of a new life in Christ. Saul, later renamed Paul, became a tentmaker with no frills and no thrills in his trade, other than a means to the end of supporting a higher calling.

It is doubtful that many of us will ever be asked to completely turn away from everything we know in our lives and become a missionary in many parts of the world. Christ does meet us on our own road as we follow the path we determine. If our path doesn’t align with the path He has chosen for us the light will also be shown to reveal the purpose for our lives.

We are all called to become tentmakers in our own journeys. Constructing a life that stands up to the elements of the world will require the enduring fabric of Christ instead of the flimsy materials of the world. Our tents must be made with the hands of God instead of the hands of man to ensure durability against the storms. As we near the end of our lives our tents become mere shells of a greater home. “Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.” 2 Co 5:1

What kind of tent are your making?