Plumber By Trade

By now, everyone in North America and half way around the world knows about “Joe the Plumber”. Because of the nature of his exposure to the political world, I doubt seriously that his plumbing business picked up much (although it might have). What made him famous during the recent presidential campaign were two things: 1) his ability to step up and ask important questions, and 2) his ability to verbalize the thoughts of many voters who wanted answers to those questions. He was a plumber by trade, but in passion he was a dedicated and concerned citizen.

This raises a significant question for everyone. What is your passion? And another question: when people think of you, do they think of you in terms of your trade or in terms of your passion. Aquila and Priscilla were tentmakers by trade, but when you read the book of Acts, you realize that their passion was the gospel of Christ. We are not sure whether they were converted by the apostle Paul (also a tentmaker) or whether they heard the message elsewhere, but they certainly had that apostle’s zeal. Almost every time you run across the phrase “the church that meets in their house”, that statement is made about Priscilla and Aquila.

Because they were tentmakers by trade, this couple were mobile. They could pick up and execute their trade in any part of the world. Perhaps because of their passion, they chose to live in at least three cities where the phrase “the church that meets in their house” could be used. They were known not by their trade, but by their passion.

What about you? No doubt you now have or once had a trade. You probably have or have had a passion. What is it? Does it relate to your relationship with Christ or is it simply self fulfilling. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if people thought of us in light of these words: “And the life that I now live, I live by faith—faith which is in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” ( Galatians 2:20)