Ability

God gave each of us special abilities that are to be used for His glory. We should recognize that God is the ultimate source of all good gifts.

• Exodus 4:10-12 HCSB But Moses replied to the LORD, "Please, Lord, I have never been eloquent--either in the past or recently or since You have been speaking to Your servant--because I am slow and hesitant in speech." The LORD said to him, "Who made the human mouth? Who makes him mute or deaf, seeing or blind? Is it not I, the LORD? Now go! I will help you speak and I will teach you what to say."
• Exodus 6:30-7:1 HCSB But Moses replied in the LORD's presence, "Since I am such a poor speaker, how will Pharaoh listen to me?"… The LORD answered Moses, "See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and Aaron your brother will be your prophet.
• James 1:16-18 HCSB Don't be deceived, my dearly loved brothers. Every generous act and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights; with Him there is no variation or shadow cast by turning. By His own choice, He gave us a new birth by the message of truth so that we would be the firstfruits of His creatures.

We must maintain that dependence on God. Not only is He the source of any abilities we may enjoy, but we are incapable of doing anything a lasting value by our abilities alone.

• 1 Samuel 2:9 HCSB He guards the steps of His faithful ones, but the wicked are silenced in darkness, for a man does not prevail by his own strength.
• Ecclesiastes 9:11 HCSB Again I saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift, or the battle to the strong, or bread to the wise, or riches to the discerning, or favor to the skillful; rather, time and chance happen to all of them.
• Amos 2:14-16 HCSB Escape will fail the swift, the strong one will not prevail by his strength, and the brave will not save his life. The archer will not stand his ground, the one who is swift of foot will not save himself, and the one riding a horse will not save his life. Even the most courageous of the warriors will flee naked on that day--the LORD's declaration.

Even the Lord Jesus Christ received His abilities from His Father.

• John 5:19 HCSB Then Jesus replied, "I assure you: The Son is not able to do anything on His own, but only what He sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, the Son also does these things in the same way.

God gave individuals special abilities to make priestly garments.

• Exodus 28:3 HCSB You are to instruct all the skilled craftsmen, whom I have filled with a spirit of wisdom, to make Aaron's garments for consecrating him to serve Me as priest.

Note: We should determine what our special abilities, our talents, skills and spiritual gifts are and figure out how to glorify God with them. Then and only then will they find their truest and fullest expression.

God gave individuals special abilities to build the tabernacle.

• Exodus 31:3 HCSB I have filled him with God's Spirit, with wisdom, understanding, and ability in every craft

God requires that those who are not only gifted but called serve Him in His place of worship.

• Exodus 36:1-2 HCSB Bezalel, Oholiab, and all the skilled people are to work based on everything the LORD has commanded. The LORD has given them wisdom and understanding to know how to do all the work of constructing the sanctuary." So Moses summoned Bezalel, Oholiab, and every skilled person in whose heart the LORD had placed wisdom, everyone whose heart moved him, to come to the work and do it.

God continues to gift His children.

• Romans 12:3-8 HCSB For by the grace given to me, I tell everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he should think. Instead, think sensibly, as God has distributed a measure of faith to each one. Now as we have many parts in one body, and all the parts do not have the same function, in the same way we who are many are one body in Christ and individually members of one another. According to the grace given to us, we have different gifts: If prophecy, use it according to the standard of faith; if service, in service; if teaching, in teaching; if exhorting, in exhortation; giving, with generosity; leading, with diligence; showing mercy, with cheerfulness.
• 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 HCSB Now there are different gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different ministries, but the same Lord. And there are different activities, but the same God is active in everyone and everything. A manifestation of the Spirit is given to each person to produce what is beneficial: to one is given a message of wisdom through the Spirit, to another, a message of knowledge by the same Spirit, to another, faith by the same Spirit, to another, gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another, the performing of miracles, to another, prophecy, to another, distinguishing between spirits, to another, different kinds of languages, to another, interpretation of languages. But one and the same Spirit is active in all these, distributing to each one as He wills.

He does so according to what He has determined we are able to handle.

• Matthew 25:15 HCSB To one he gave five talents; to another, two; and to another, one--to each according to his own ability. Then he went on a journey. Immediately

Those who are specially gifted should work on their respective talents within the context of worship. Even those talents that you might not immediately consider religious in nature can be brought into the Christian community and used to not only glorify God but edify others.

• Exodus 35:10 HCSB "Let all the skilled craftsmen among you come and make everything that the LORD has commanded:

Even the world recognizes that we should major on those things for which we are particularly gifted. Pharaoh commanded that those who possessed a “special ability” in dealing with cattle be put in charge of livestock.

• Genesis 47:6 HCSB the land of Egypt is open before you; settle your father and brothers in the best part of the land. They can live in the land of Goshen. If you know of any capable men among them, put them in charge of my livestock."

We should give and serve according to our abilities.

• Ezra 2:69 HCSB Based on what they could give, they gave 61,000 gold coins, 6,250 pounds of silver, and 100 priestly garments to the treasury for the project.
• Acts 11:29 HCSB So each of the disciples, according to his ability, determined to send relief to the brothers who lived in Judea.
• Romans 12:6-8 HCSB According to the grace given to us, we have different gifts: If prophecy, use it according to the standard of faith; if service, in service; if teaching, in teaching; if exhorting, in exhortation; giving, with generosity; leading, with diligence; showing mercy, with cheerfulness.
• 2 Corinthians 8:12 HCSB For if the eagerness is there, it is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have.

That is exactly what the woman who anointed Christ did – what she could.

• Mark 14:8 HCSB She has done what she could; she has anointed My body in advance for burial.

Just because you are not gifted in a certain manner does not mean that you cannot help in that area. Those who were not gifted in metallurgy, crafts and construction supported the work financially.

• Exodus 36:3-4 HCSB They took from Moses' presence all the contributions that the Israelites had brought for the task of making the sanctuary. Meanwhile, the people continued to bring freewill offerings morning after morning. Then all the craftsmen who were doing all the work for the sanctuary came one by one from the work they were doing

Just because we are able to do something doesn’t necessarily mean that we should. The people were able to build a high tower but they were doing it against God’s direct command to spread out. God knew that this act, if allowed to continue, would enable them to do even bigger things, but that it wouldn’t be good for them. So He confused them with a multitude of languages.

• Genesis 11:1-6 HCSB At one time the whole earth had the same language and vocabulary. 2 As people migrated from the east, they found a valley in the land of Shinar and settled there. 3 They said to each other, "Come, let us make oven-fired bricks." They had brick for stone and asphalt for mortar. 4 And they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the sky. Let us make a name for ourselves; otherwise, we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth." 5 Then the LORD came down to look over the city and the tower that the men were building. 6 The LORD said, "If, as one people all having the same language, they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them.

Our abilities can get us recognized and even into the history books.

• 1 Chronicles 26:6 HCSB Also, to his son Shemaiah were born sons who ruled over their ancestral houses because they were strong, capable men.

However, Jesus instructed us to use our abilities to glorify the Father. When we know this and fail to obey we are bringing judgment upon ourselves.

• Luke 12:35-48 HCSB "Be ready for service and have your lamps lit. 36 You must be like people waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet so that when he comes and knocks, they can open the door for him at once. 37 Those slaves the master will find alert when he comes will be blessed. I assure you: He will get ready, have them recline at the table, then come and serve them. 38 If he comes in the middle of the night, or even near dawn, and finds them alert, those slaves are blessed. 39 But know this: if the homeowner had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. 40 You also be ready, because the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not expect." 41 "Lord," Peter asked, "are You telling this parable to us or to everyone?" 42 The Lord said: "Who then is the faithful and sensible manager his master will put in charge of his household servants to give them their allotted food at the proper time? 43 That slave whose master finds him working when he comes will be rewarded. 44 I tell you the truth: he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 45 But if that slave says in his heart, 'My master is delaying his coming,' and starts to beat the male and female slaves, and to eat and drink and get drunk, 46 that slave's master will come on a day he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers. 47 And that slave who knew his master's will and didn't prepare himself or do it will be severely beaten. 48 But the one who did not know and did things deserving of blows will be beaten lightly. Much will be required of everyone who has been given much. And even more will be expected of the one who has been entrusted with more.

Cain lost the ability he was so proud of when he failed to appropriately place it within the context of God’s will.

• Genesis 4:9-12 HCSB Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?" "I don't know," he replied. "Am I my brother's guardian?" 10 Then He said, "What have you done? Your brother's blood cries out to Me from the ground! 11 So now you are cursed with alienation from the ground that opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood you have shed. 12 If you work the land, it will never again give you its yield. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth."

Sometimes our abilities will go unrecognized.

• Nehemiah 4:1-10 HCSB When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became furious. He mocked the Jews 2 before his colleagues and the powerful men of Samaria, and said, "What are these pathetic Jews doing? Can they restore it by themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they ever finish it? Can they bring these burnt stones back to life from the mounds of rubble?" 3 Then Tobiah the Ammonite, who was beside him, said, "Indeed, even if a fox climbed up what they are building, he would break down their stone wall!" 4 Listen, our God, for we are despised. Make their insults return on their own heads and let them be taken as plunder to a land of captivity. 5 Do not cover their guilt or let their sin be erased from Your sight, because they have provoked the builders. 6 So we rebuilt the wall until the entire wall was joined together up to half its height, for the people had the will to keep working. 7 When Sanballat, Tobiah, and the Arabs, Ammonites, and Ashdodites heard that the repair to the walls of Jerusalem was progressing and that the gaps were being closed, they became furious. 8 They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and throw it into confusion. 9 So we prayed to our God and stationed a guard because of them day and night. 10 In Judah, it was said: The strength of the laborer fails, since there is so much rubble. We will never be able to rebuild the wall.

Sometimes our abilities will be limited by others. There is no shame in this. Even the Lord was limited in what He could do at times.

• Mark 6:2-6 HCSB When the Sabbath came, He began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard Him were astonished. "Where did this man get these things?" they said. "What is this wisdom given to Him, and how are these miracles performed by His hands? 3 Isn't this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And aren't His sisters here with us?" So they were offended by Him. 4 Then Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown, among his relatives, and in his household." 5 So He was not able to do any miracles there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. 6 And He was amazed at their unbelief. Now He was going around the villages in a circuit, teaching.

Sometimes others will be driven by evil motives to discredit our abilities. In those times we should imitate the Master who relied on His calling from God.

• John 5:31-38 HCSB "If I testify about Myself, My testimony is not valid. 32 There is Another who testifies about Me, and I know that the testimony He gives about Me is valid. 33 You have sent messengers to John, and he has testified to the truth. 34 I don't receive man's testimony, but I say these things so that you may be saved. 35 John was a burning and shining lamp, and for a time you were willing to enjoy his light. 36 "But I have a greater testimony than John's because of the works that the Father has given Me to accomplish. These very works I am doing testify about Me that the Father has sent Me. 37 The Father who sent Me has Himself testified about Me. You have not heard His voice at any time, and you haven't seen His form. 38 You don't have His word living in you, because you don't believe the One He sent.

However, we may be forced, like the Master, to leave and find a place where we can appropriately serve God.

• John 5:47-6:1 HCSB But if you don't believe his writings, how will you believe My words?" After this, Jesus crossed the Sea of Galilee (or Tiberias).

Being humble does not consist of denying the gifts God has given you but in recognizing their true limitations and their source.

• 2 Corinthians 11:5-6 HCSB Now I consider myself in no way inferior to the "super-apostles." 6 Though untrained in public speaking, I am certainly not untrained in knowledge. Indeed, we have always made that clear to you in everything.

When we use our abilities and gifts appropriately, God increases them.

• Luke 19:26 HCSB "'I tell you, that to everyone who has, more will be given; and from the one who does not have, even what he does have will be taken away.

God the Holy Spirit inspired David and made him a skillful writer.

• Psalms 45:1 HCSB For the choir director: according to "The Lilies." A Maskil of the sons of Korah. A love song. My heart is moved by a noble theme as I recite my verses to the king; my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer.

Increased abilities were promised to us through Christ.

• John 14:12 HCSB "I assure you: The one who believes in Me will also do the works that I do. And he will do even greater works than these, because I am going to the Father.

Our abilities are only limited by our faith.

• Mark 9:23 HCSB Then Jesus said to him, "'If You can?' Everything is possible to the one who believes."

Our abilities can be measured by our readiness to use them for others.

• 2 Corinthians 8:1-14 HCSB We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God granted to the churches of Macedonia: 2 during a severe testing by affliction, their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed into the wealth of their generosity. 3 I testify that, on their own, according to their ability and beyond their ability, 4 they begged us insistently for the privilege of sharing in the ministry to the saints, 5 and not just as we had hoped. Instead, they gave themselves especially to the Lord, then to us by God's will. 6 So we urged Titus that, just as he had begun, so he should also complete this grace to you. 7 Now as you excel in everything--in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all diligence, and in your love for us--excel also in this grace. 8 I am not saying this as a command. Rather, by means of the diligence of others, I am testing the genuineness of your love. 9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ: although He was rich, for your sake He became poor, so that by His poverty you might become rich. 10 Now I am giving an opinion on this because it is profitable for you, who a year ago began not only to do something but also to desire it. 11 But now finish the task as well, that just as there was eagerness to desire it, so there may also be a completion from what you have. 12 For if the eagerness is there, it is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have. 13 It is not that there may be relief for others and hardship for you, but it is a question of equality-- 14 at the present time your surplus is available for their need, so that their abundance may also become available for your need, that there may be equality.

We can do all things through Christ.

• Philippians 4:13 HCSB I am able to do all things through Him who strengthens me.

There is a divine source to our abilities.

• 1 Peter 4:11 HCSB If anyone speaks, his speech should be like the oracles of God; if anyone serves, his service should be from the strength God provides, so that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To Him belong the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.

We should gain confidence from the abilities that God has given us.

• 1 Samuel 17:32-37 HCSB David said to Saul, "Don't let anyone be discouraged by him; your servant will go and fight this Philistine!" 33 But Saul replied, "You can't go fight this Philistine. You're just a youth, and he's been a warrior since he was young." 34 David answered Saul, "Your servant has been tending his father's sheep. Whenever a lion or a bear came and carried off a lamb from the flock, 35 I went after it, struck it down, and rescued the lamb from its mouth. If it reared up against me, I would grab it by its fur, strike it down, and kill it. 36 Your servant has killed lions and bears; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God." 37 Then David said, "The LORD who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine." Saul said to David, "Go, and may the LORD be with you."

Irrespective of our special abilities, talents, skills or gifts, the ultimate characteristic we must seek is the respect of our brothers and sisters in Christ and the filling of Holy Spirit in our lives.

• Acts 6:3 HCSB Therefore, brothers, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and wisdom, whom we can appoint to this duty.

When we are so empowered we will be able to do amazing things, but God will be glorified.

• Acts 6:8 HCSB Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and signs among the people.