Craftsmanship

Henry Steinway built his first piano in 1836 in the kitchen of his home in Germany – the same piano now displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Born on this day in 1797, he would build 482 pianos over the next decade. Eventually, he and his family emigrated to the United States, establishing Steinway & Sons with the goal of manufacturing pianos.

It must have sounded like an unlikely business, but within three years, they were manufacturing more than 200 pianos a year. Because of the quality of their craftsmanship, Steinway developed a reputation for excellence. As a result, their pianos were sold the world over.

Today, the company so dominates the piano business that an estimated 97% of concert soloists choose to play on a Steinway. All other brands combined account for the other 3%. Because of their quality, more than 2,000 pianos are produced each year in Steinway plants.

The Bible reminds us that God is also concerned with craftsmanship. With work of excellence. We see this concern in the building of the tabernacle. God appointed Bezalel to supervise the design and construction, perfectly preparing and equipping him for this important assignment. Later, God applied the same principles to the building of Solomon’s temple, a magnificent structure built to honor God.

The Bible calls each of us to be good stewards of the resources God has given us. To do work of excellence. To develop our abilities. To be a testimony to the greatness of God. To impact lives with the quality of our work.