I’ll never forget reading an email that was sent to a Church Pastor.
The sender was petitioning the Pastor for the latest web design software suite.
If we have the latest professional software, we will be able to build a professional looking website.
There are a few assumptions with this statement that are untrue. At the same time, it’s important to keep-up with technology.
Do we need the latest technology and software to be successful?
No.
We need these things:
Knowledge
You can hand me professional grade wrenches, but that doesn’t mean I can fix your car. I have to know what to do with the tools before I can start using them.
Between Open Source and the World Wide Web, there’s a lot of free knowledge. You can learn so much on the Internet. As much as we like to joke about it or how ever cliché it may be, it is an Information Superhighway. From configuring a router, to customizing a CMS, you can find it online.
Talent
You can give me PhotoShop and teach me everything about it, but if I don’t have an eye for design, it’s a waste!
Talent is like Spiderman.
With great talent, comes great responsibility.
The one thing that can really separate star athletes and super-star athletes is what they do with their talent. It isn’t enough to simply have talent, you have to refine it.
Skill
I can have knowledge and talent, but unless I’m using it regularly, I’ll never be skillful.
In our neighborhood in Italy, there is a beautiful house. It has such fine detail, and stands-out from the rest.
The house was restored by an “Artisan.”
Wiki says,
An artisan (from Italian: artigiano) is a skilled manual worker who makes items that may be functional or strictly decorative …
My neighbor knows how to do the same mason work. He worked on my house, but it looks nothing like the work done by this Artisan. You become an Artisan when you mix your knowledge and talent, and do it for years!
That is what I think-of when I refer to skill. I truly want to become an Artisan in what I do. Do you?
The Answer
Success will never be found in the latest technology. I’m all about using the latest web browsers and I like having the latest OS, but these are just tools of a trade.
I’m not for using broken computers and Windows 95. I just want to keep focused and not waste the resources God has given us.
I want less focus on the tools, and focus more on what I do with them.
What do you think?
[Image via Jeroen Bennink]
Justin Simmons says
Eric… home run on this post. I used to fall into the category that wanted the latest and greatest because we might need it down the road. My pocketbook sure is glad I got out of that mentality quickly. Knowledge, talent and skill combine for the greatest influence… but nobody ever starts there. It must be worked into through time and investment. Pay the price, reap the rewards.
Good thoughts man!
Eric Dye says
Thanks, Justin 😀
Raoul Snyman says
As a avid open source fan, I am puzzled by a similar sort of attitude amongst a LOT of people.
People want PhotoShop, and won’t settle for something like the GIMP, even though they don’t ever use much more than the very basics of the application’s features.
Or, the person who wants to go for some ludicrously over-priced CMS for their site, because they don’t think that something like Drupal will do the job (which is funny, since the White House, MTV and Ubuntu all seem to think that it’s up to the task).
In my opinion, wasting the church’s money on a commercial package when there are perfectly good free or open source alternatives is being a bad steward, and contrary to Christ’s teaching.
Eric Dye says
Slam dunk.
John Dyer says
Glad you’re back. Great stuff!
Eric Dye says
Thanks! 😀