“See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah,and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship, to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze,in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, to work in every craft. (ESV)

Do you ever contemplate the talents or abilities that you have been given? Maybe you have a natural ability to teach the next generation, turn a wrench, or detail a car. You might have a wonderful voice, a mathematical mind, or something else that you have a natural tendency to be good at. Sometimes it’s challenging to recognize the things that come naturally to us. But I bet there is someone you know who you could recognize this in. I have a friend who is a firefighter.  He is blessed with many abilities needed to be a great firefighter. There is so much value in what he does: for the community, for his crew, and so on.  But I think the greatest thing isn’t fighting fires, responding to vehicle accidents, or rescuing kittens from trees, but in the way that God is working in and through him. One of these ways is through the gift to help and serve others sacrificially. It is truly powerful to recognize someone’s gifting because then we begin to understand how each of us makes up a unique, important part of the body that the Holy Spirit empowers.

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But what’s the difference between simply doing something we are good at and allowing the Spirit to work in and through us? How does the Spirit enable us to walk in our giftings?

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Looking at today’s verses, we read about the Lord specifically telling Moses that he filled Bezalel with the Holy Spirit and gave him abilities and gifts to accomplish very specific work. God gave him artistic abilities, craftsmanship, knowledge, intelligence, and helpers to accomplish these important tasks. God could have given Bezalel or any of these people a number of abilities, but without the gifting of leadership, wisdom, knowledge, or the instructions to build the temple of meeting and its ornate furnishings, how would they ever have accomplished God’s plans?  

God also gives you and me gifts and abilities. This isn’t by coincidence or luck. Each one of us has been fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14), and he made us unique for a purpose at that. But here is what truly leaves me in awe: God wants to fill us with his Spirit, empower us, and provide us with the gifts to accomplish his work that we were created for. Just like how Bezalel couldn’t craft the immaculate tabernacle and all of its furnishings without the empowering wisdom, knowledge, gifts, and guidance of the Holy Spirit, we too need to be filled with the Holy Spirit to be empowered to walk in the giftings that God has for us.

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The talent or ability that God blessed us with is simply a vehicle or a tool. The Holy Spirit empowers great things to happen, and one of the ways he does this is through gifts that he gives us. The ways that we may think of to leverage our gifts are finite, but God’s power is limitless.  The Holy Spirit knows exactly what is needed, when it is needed, and how he can use us to carry out his plans. He gives us the courage to run into a burning building, the wisdom to minister to our coworkers, comfort when we are hurting, the strength to carry on, and the ability to build his temple exactly how he designed it, down to each stone. He empowers us to pick up the tools that are our gifts, gives us the humility to rely on our identity in him to keep pride from destroying us, and even picks us up when we fall down.  

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What abilities has God created you with? Do you know what spiritual gifts you have received that can be used as a blessing to others, to glorify him, and to minister to those around you? I encourage you to ask the Holy Spirit to help you recognize the gifts that he has given you and how you can use them for his purpose.

Thank you, Lord, for uniquely creating me for a purpose.  Please fill me with your Spirit, empowering me to use my gifts for your glory and to share your love and goodness with the world. In Jesus’ name, Amen.