You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Your light must shine before people in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
Matthew 5:14-16 NASB
One of the original wooden toy ducks produced by Ole Kirk Kristiansen, with the company motto "only the best is good enough" on a wooden plaque behind it.
REFLECT
Did you know, one of the most famous toy companies today can trace its origins back revival and awakening?
You’ve probably seen these toys in stores, and maybe your grandchildren scatter them across the floor while playing… what we know today as small plastic bricks, shipped worldwide with a massive following by children and adults alike: LEGO! It all began as an idea in the heart and mind of a godly, humble carpenter in the rural community of Billund, Denmark.
Ole Kirk Kristiansen was born at turn of the 20thcentury, in the aftershocks of a revival in the Danish church that was marked by powerful proclamations of the Gospel and a keen focus on sanctification and the transformation of daily habits honoring God. This revival was known as the “Home Mission” and “mission halls” rapidly spread across Denmark, serving as both a church building and community center to promote fellowship and acts of generosity throughout the week.
The roots of Kristiansen’s faith ran deep, and he grew into a godly man: he labored with diligence, excellence, and humility, carefully stewarding everything the Lord had given to him and faithfully responding to the Lord in generosity and hope. In 1916 he married and purchased Billund Woodworking and Carpentry shop, and for many years was widely respected as producing goods of the highest quality and being a blessing to the Billund community as a Sunday school teacher, supporter of the YMCA and YWCA, and leader in the church association that was borne out of the revival.
His joy in the Lord never wavered; when he won a contract to build a church but barely turned a profit, he was unfazed – it was for the Lord.
His hope and joy would continue to be tested many times in the coming decades. When his home and carpentry shop burned to the ground in 1924, he used it as an opportunity to build a new home using an innovative architectural design, constructed to the highest standards of quality craftsmanship.
When the economic crash of 1929 gives way to worldwide economic downturn in the following years, Ole Kirk Kristiansen and the Billund community were hit hard. He writes about the year 1932 in his memoirs, saying, “... I looked to the future with hope. But within two months my world was tumbling. There was a crisis in farming but as we owed our living to the smallholders and farmers, we were also affected. We were in a difficult time – but it was as well that we could not see what lay ahead. During the summer we were asked to make toys for Jens W. Olesen, Fredericia, and as we had no other work, we looked on it as a gift from God.”
Three years later, he began crafting wooden toys full time, and names his company LEGO, a combination of the Danish words “LEG GODT” meaning “play well.”
As the company grew, Ole Kirk Kristiansen’s drive for excellence in the Lord became the driving force of the company, with the motto, “Only the best is good enough.” When his young son and future LEGO company owner, Godtfred, was working in the toymaking shop, he bragged to his father that he saved the company money by only coating a shipment of toy ducks in two coats of varnish, instead of three, which was the company’s standard. He was quickly admonished by his father for doing wrong, and was instructed to retrieve the toys from their shipment, unpack, varnish, and repack the entire set – with all the work to be completed before Godtfred went to bed. He carried this lesson with him throughout his life.
Over time, the company moved from wooden toys to wooden and plastic toys, and finally to the plastic bricks we know and love today.
Even decades before modern psychological research provided empirical data to support the benefits, and necessity, of play and open-ended toys for children, Ole Kirk Kristiansen had a sense for God’s perfect design of mankind. God is our Creator, and as we are made in His image, we can engage in creative play and outlets that bring forth joy and growth in our minds and hearts.
Now, generations of children and families have been impacted by the core tenets that Ole Kirk Christiansen set forth for his company to glorify God through excellence, care, and creativity, among many others.
Let's pray.
Peace and blessings,
Amy Parks
