Tentmaking

I've been wondering about something lately. It's something about a biblical character that most people have probably never given a thought, or seen the relevance of. However, it kind of sums up where I am just now.

"Did Paul enjoy making tents?"

There's only one reference I could find to Paul being a "tentmaker" in the bible. (I used Bible Gateway, as opposed to a thorough personal study.) Despite the fact that so little is said of Paul's tentmaking skills, the word "tentmaker" has become a Christianese term for a job you do that isn't especially spiritual or enjoyable but you do it to pay the bills. I'm finding myself dying a bit each day as I sit in front of a computer in my empty flat. It really is rubbish. I'm convinced I should be doing something I'm passionate about.

This brings me back to the question, "Did Paul enjoy making tents?" Was it something he was passionate about or did it kill him on the inside? I only had a very brief look at the chapter where Paul's tentmaking was mentioned (Acts 18) but I can't help feeling the meaning was one of a brief, transitional phase where he returned to his previous trade because the people he was staying with also made tents. He didn't do it for years, desperate for something else.

Maybe the term "tentmaker" has been exaggerated from the original context, or maybe I just can't accept the conclusion that everyone else seems to have settled for, that fulfillment in your work is unimportant, and the paying of bills is all that really matters.

For me, I have this possibly naïve notion that we should be passionate about what we do. We'll see how it goes. I'll bet my income on it.