Ability versus Talents or Skill
Today as I was reflecting on the topic for this post, I was reminded of a saying attributed to Lou Holtz. It goes like this; “Ability is what you are capable of doing, motivation determines what you do, and attitude determines how well you do it”! I agree wholeheartedly with those assumptions with one caveat. Motivation or your “availability” determines your capability every time. There is within all of us, the ability to learn and grow, gaining ability and capability yet we would rather assign the ownership or accountability to someone else. Be honest guys, how many times have you passed by someone broken down on the side of the road, and thought to yourself. I should stop and help, but then you drive right on by and say to yourself, someone else will stop!
Life Learnings
One thing I have learned in my years of life is that I am capable of most anything. I am not the smartest, nor the most skilled, but my motto has always been “If I can do that thing, rather than pay someone to do it, I will do it myself”! This has led to many learnings in my life, some good and some not so good, the first time. However, I learned new skills and developed new talents that I would not have otherwise. This is something I learned from my dad. He could do just about anything. He wasn’t great at everything, but he was good at most things, like the old adage “Jack of all trades, master of none”. The secret is to make yourself available to the learning, this is where the motivation comes in. Availability is the key here and in life.
Associations in life
We often associate ability with skills or talents that apply only to our career path, however this thinking around ability goes much deeper than that. It is throughout life, in our relationships, our families, our faith. The same excuses of “I can’t, or I don’t know how” are used in our family relationships, and daily lives. Thinking this way keeps us from launching out into ministry and working to fulfill the call of God on our life. A phrase God has taught me that I use often is this; “The only ABILITY, that God needs from you, is your AVAILABILITY”! He will take care of the rest. I would add that this approach applies to your family, your wife, your friends. The abilities and capabilities will come, if you just make yourself available.
What does availability look like?
A great example of what making yourself available can accomplish is Peter the disciple, both from a short-term and long-term perspective. We read in Luke 5: 1-11, (I am paraphrasing), that Jesus was overtaken by a great crowd and needed a place to put some room between him and the crowd so he could teach them. He jumped in Simons (Peters) boat and asked him to push out a little. He taught the crowd and when he was finished, he asked them to push out deeper and throw out the nets. Now Simon (Peter) and his crew had fished all night and caught nothing, they were reluctant to do as Jesus asked, but they did so anyway.
Resulting blessedness
Peter’s crew caught so many fish that the boat was about to sink. Upon returning to shore, the simple words “Follow Me” led Peter and the other disciples to leave all behind and follow Jesus. They made themselves available! If you have read much of the New Testament, you know that there was a lot of learning that went on with Peter. Some took several trips around the mountain before he got it! He grew, nonetheless, into one of the highest respected disciples and founders of the early church. For those of us who are followers of Christ, it is imperative that we understand, how much we owe to these early Christians and their faithfulness and willingness to serve our Lord. Peter was merely a fisherman, the skills, talents, and all that was needed to bring him from Simon to Peter came after he merely made himself AVAILABLE!
Summary
The moral of my story today is this. We spend way too much time today selfishly looking for excuses not to get involved, or why we can’t or shouldn’t. Whether it’s faith or relationship, career or simply becoming a better husband, dad, grandpa, or son. Can we simply make the stance I am going to make myself available, and trust that the rest will come?
“All of life is ministry”
Ricky Banks
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