“Do (all) with the ability . . which God gives.” 1 Peter 4:11 NKJV

“No one can do everything, but what you are meant to do can be done with abilities God gives.”

You have abilities; everyone does. Most of the time your abilities and resource may seem adequate for the task at hand, but there are occasions when they are not. Possibly, even probably, there are more of those occasions than any of us realize at the time. When any of us are honest with ourselves, we will realize that anything that we do could have been better in some way with the advice or assistance of others.

However extensive your abilities may be, no one’s abilities are all encompassing. “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, Who also made us sufficient . .” 2 Corinthians 3:5-6 NKJV.

There will be many times when you will need a helping hand. Why don’t we ask for it? Pride may keep any of us from even recognizing or admitting our need, let alone asking for help. Fear of disappointment could make a person try to go it alone, hesitating to ask when knowing it’s needed. Look for times and ways your abilities could help others, and you will always have friends ready to help you. “A man who has friends must himself be friendly.” Proverbs 18:24 NLT. A good rule is as Jesus said, “Do for others as you would like them to do for you.” Luke 6:31 NLT.

The situations in which you assume you have adequate ability perhaps may be the very ones for which you most need help. Even when your abilities seem enough, there is always more that could be better accomplished if you will not limit yourself to what only you can do. Here’s Solomon’s advice, “Two people can accomplish more than twice a s much as one; they get a better return for their labor.” Ecclesiastes 4:9/12 NLT.

Be encouraged. When you most need help and there seems no one to help you – God will be your helper! Imagine what you can do if those “two people” are God and you, working through the ability that God supplies! “God Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we may boldly say: “The Lord is my helper . .” Hebrews 13:5-6 NKJV. Realize that your abilities are from God, and use them how He wills, and as He directs, and always for His glory. Philippians 4:19 NLT.

All of us are less self-sufficient than we would like to think or wish others to think of us, but neither need we feel helpless when the Lord has promised to be our helper. What more could you need; whatever would you lack? See Psalm 23:1.

“To each there comes in his or her lifetime a special moment when they are tapped on the shoulder and offered the chance to do a very special thing, unique to them and fitted to their talent. What a tragedy if that moment finds them unprepared and unqualified for that which could have been their finest hour.” Sir Winston Churchill.

Unless you are living and serving – “doing it with the ability which God supplies” – you will be found unprepared, and miss what could have been your finest hour!

My prayer for you is to never try to do yourself what God can do better through you.