Equipped For Good Work

When people learn I am a writer, they often say, “Oh, I could never do that. Writing is so difficult for me to do.” This makes me chuckle, because I feel the same way about practically any other line of work. I admire people with mechanical skills, such as carpenters, plumbers, electricians or all-purpose handymen (or women). I cannot imagine how CPAs and bookkeepers do the work they do. Individuals who excel at public speaking amaze me, and gifted leaders who can inspire and mobilize those that report to them have my great respect.

We are all different, drawing from a unique “toolbox” of gifts, skills and experiences. That is one reason we need each other – working together, we complement one another’s abilities. Have you ever considered, however, where our innate talents, skills and preferences come from?

I began writing early in my life. Although I did not regard it as a career possibility until about two years into college, it has always been an enjoyable part of my life, something about which I grew more and more passionate. The interesting thing is, I never decided one day, “I think I am going to pursue writing, rather than becoming a mechanic, or a doctor, lawyer or scientist.” It was like writing was “hard-wired” into my being, an integral part of who I was – and am today.

My conclusion about where we get our innate abilities is simple: God bestows them to us as He sees fit. Some people are natural salespeople; others have special management strengths, while others are uniquely equipped to become engineers, teachers, nurses or architects.

Psalm 139:14 says of God, “For you created my inmost being…. I am fearfully and wonderfully made, your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” I believe that includes the talents and specific gifts that sometimes manifest themselves in early childhood, like a musical prodigy or a mathematical genius who can solve complex equations long before many young peers even know how to read.

But this special equipping of the Lord does not stop at the womb. It continues throughout our lives when we are sensitive to His leading and obedient to His call. Consider:

© 2018. Robert J. Tamasy has written Business at Its Best: Timeless Wisdom from Proverbs for Today’s Workplace; Tufting Legacies;coauthored with David A. Stoddard, The Heart of Mentoring, and edited other books, including Advancing Through Adversityby Mike Landry. Bob’s biweekly blog is: www.bobtamasy.blogspot.com.