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Originally Posted by Ohio
I agree with this ... for the most part. To me "natural ability" has everything to do with His creation of us individually and His sovereignty in our lives, arranging our families and environments. I believe that God made us as we are for a reason.
Your second statement was occasionally taken to extremes in the LC, e.g. you don't know anything about children so you should be put you in charge of the children's service, so that you must rely upon God's gifts and power and not your own "natural abilities." That's stupid.
I don't think that God's gifts and power vary that much "from the particular skills or talents we have that we were born with," to use your words. If one gets saved at a young age, these talents might not be manifested yet, but that does not mean they were not there.
For example, I was not gifted with any musical talent, neither naturally or spiritually. Right after I was saved, a well-meaning brother sitting next to me in one of my first meetings kindly took me aside, looked me in the eyes, and asked if I was "tone deaf." His "loving" question took me weeks to get over, but eventually with practice and grace I improved, and no longer stand out like an audio "sore thumb." All of God's "great gifts and power" have brought me to the point where I can now sing with others. Barely.
On the other hand, I am like the guru of home remodeling, basically been that way since I was born. I'm an engineer who has had rentals, flipped homes, and remodeled every home I ever lived in. There's not too much I don't know or can't do, so I was always responsible for the meeting halls. Every time one of the saints was buying a home, they asked me to come along to give my opinion. That didn't mean that I did everything without God, by my self, or without His grace, but serving in that capacity was to me a joy, something I liked doing. In Lee's scheme of things, "spiritual" service should not be something we like or enjoy. I disagree.
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I think this approach builds character and I see nothing wrong with it, and it may even have spiritual value. It is good to be outside of our "comfort zone" sometimes.
There is a general principle in the Bible that God uses those who are not capable. Because He does not want us to do things in our strength but His strength. Because He wants the glory. If we do things we are good at or like to do, would we really give Him the glory?
1 Cor 1:27 "But God has chosen the foolish things of the world that He might shame the wise; and God has chosen the weak things of the world that He might shame the strong;"
Moses was not a good speaker, David was not a warrior yet killed Goliath, Jacob was a home body and mommy's boy, there are many examples.
Those who have natural strength and ability (Saul, Esau etc) have generally not been chosen by God to do great things for Him, or they have been, but made a mess of it.