Spiritual gifts
The Gift of Craftsmanship and Creative Arts
Making beauty and usefulness for worship and service
The gift of craftsmanship or creative arts is God-given skill in making things, offered to serve God's people and point attention to Him. The New Testament gift lists don't name it, and its clearest biblical example is Bezalel (Exodus 31:3-5).
“And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability, and knowledge in all kinds of craftsmanship, to design artistic works in gold, silver, and bronze, to cut gemstones for settings, and to carve wood, so that he may be a master of every craft.”
What it is
When God gave Moses the plans for the tabernacle, He also named the people who would build it. He filled Bezalel with His Spirit, chose Oholiab to assist him, and gave skill to "all the craftsmen" (Exodus 31:6). He also gave Bezalel and Oholiab "the ability to teach others" (Exodus 35:34).
Exodus shows God giving skill for making things that are both beautiful and useful, for the sake of His worship and His people. Churches still need banners sewn, rooms repaired, and a website that works.
Where Scripture shows it
Skilled women spun yarn and goat hair for the tabernacle (Exodus 35:25-26), and "everyone whose heart stirred him" came to do the work (Exodus 36:2). Later Solomon brought Huram from Tyre, a bronze worker with "great skill, understanding, and knowledge" (1 Kings 7:14), to make furnishings for the temple.
Skill can also be misused. Aaron took the people's gold and fashioned the golden calf with an engraving tool (Exodus 32:4).
What it can look like
- You design the graphics for a sermon series or build the church website.
- You sew, knit, or build furniture, and you give what you make to people who need it.
- You paint, write, or take photographs that help people notice God's world.
- You're glad when people see your work and think about God more than about you.
What to watch for
- Wanting praise for your work more than you want to serve with it.
- Perfectionism that keeps you from finishing or sharing anything.
- Letting beauty or skill become an idol.
- Looking down on practical work, like fixing things, as less creative.
Ways to serve with it
- Offer your skill to a ministry that needs it, like designing a flyer for the food pantry.
- Make something for a family going through a hard time, like a quilt.
- Teach your craft to a younger believer.
- Pray before you start a project, and offer the work to God.
Related gifts
Holy habits that fit this gift
These practices can help you steward this gift over time.
Frequently asked questions
Is creativity a spiritual gift?
Paul's lists don't name creativity, so Christians differ on whether to call it a spiritual gift in the New Testament sense. Many still see it as one of the ways God equips His people to serve one another (1 Peter 4:10).
What does Bezalel teach us about creative gifts?
His story shows that skill in making things can come from the Spirit of God (Exodus 31:3), and that it's given for God's purposes. He and the other skilled workers were to carry out "everything commanded by the LORD" (Exodus 36:1).
How do I know if I have the gift of craftsmanship?
Offer what you make and watch what it does. Does it help people, or draw them toward worship? Do you enjoy making things for others as much as for yourself?
Take the free Spiritual Gifts Test
Answer questions about how you like to serve, and see which gifts your answers point toward. It takes about 6-7 minutes, and no email is required.
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