Finding God’s Glory in the Mundane:
It’s hard to imagine the Apostle Paul—arguably the greatest theological mind of his generation—carrying, setting up, and delivering pegs and tents to clients. Picture him mending torn canvas, hammering bent pegs back into shape, and wiping sweat from his brow.
This is the same man who wrote nearly two-thirds of the New Testament. A Pharisee of Pharisees, a scholar of the Law, and a man whose writings still teach theologians today—yet he labored as a tentmaker. By modern standards, many would see this as a “low-level job,” far from the glamorous image we might attach to spiritual greatness.
The modern church often portrays the greatest pastors or theologians as those leading massive congregations or lecturing in elite seminaries. Yet the Lord repeatedly chose His servants from humble, down-to-earth vocations: fishermen, tax collectors, a tentmaker—and maybe, just one doctor.
God’s training ground often involves obscurity, discomfort, and labor that doesn’t look spiritual. Tentmaking demanded hard work, dirty hands, and dealing with difficult customers. Yet it stripped Paul of earthly glory and anchored his heart in God’s affirmation alone.
Lessons from the Workshop of God:
Paul’s hidden labor became his holy classroom. Each stitch, each repaired canvas, and each tent peg hammered into place whispered the lessons of humility, endurance, and trust in God.
When Paul later wrote in 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NKJV), “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness,” those weren’t poetic words. They were the hard-earned confessions of a man who had learned contentment in the dust and sweat of life.
As I reflect on my own path—from waiter and cleaner, to pastor and director, and now itinerant minister and delivery driver—I see the same divine thread. Long hours of driving, pushing trolleys, and unseen labor have become my personal “tentmaking moments.”
They strip away pride and comfort, leaving only the joy of being affirmed by God alone. These mundane seasons have become sacred, teaching me that true ministry is born not from platforms but from posture.
Heaven Sees What the World Overlooked
So, are all these necessary?
Yes—absolutely yes. Without tentmaking, Paul would not have been Paul. Without hidden seasons, our hearts would never be ready to carry the weight of His calling.
If you find yourself in an ordinary or overlooked season, take heart. God is shaping you in ways the world cannot see. Your delivery runs, office shifts, or dishwashing hours are not wasted—they are workshops of humility where heaven leans in.
Lift this prayer today:
“Lord, let my hands learn humility so that my heart can carry Your glory. In my weakness, be my strength. In my ordinary, reveal Your extraordinary.”
Because in God’s Kingdom, the humblest hands often carry the greatest minds.
