Exodus 35:5,10 "Take ye from among you an offering unto the LORD: whosoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it, an offering of the LORD . . . And every wise hearted among you shall come, and make all that the LORD hath commanded."
Is it more important to have skill or willingness? Well, that may be a misleading question! Skill and willingness are not mutually exclusive. It is best to be willing in what you receive and skilled in what you do. There is no reason to not be both!
In Exodus 35, God was looking for willing hearts and skilled ("wise") hearts. Both are necessary. I have said, and have heard said many times, that God is not looking for skilled people; God is looking for willing people. That is true. You can hone the skills you have been given by God, but willingness is a decision of your will. A willing heart must come before a skilled heart, but both are important!
Has someone come to you recently and asked, "Could you ?" Can you is a different question than will you. Sometimes we say, "I can't," when in reality, we mean, "I won't." God's work is not left for those who cannot do anything else. However, it does not matter if you can do everything if you are not willing!
It is easier to teach a willing person skill than it is to teach a skilled person willingness. You need willingness, and you need skill. Some of the best summer camp counselors we have at the Ranch are young people who are willing. It turns out that the willing ones are pretty skilled and are willing to learn, too!
My dad tells the story of riding with his dad, brother, and uncle, John Rice. John Rice said, "I am a man void of very many gifts, save the ability for hard work."
Now, I think it is obvious that John Rice was a highly skilled man, but his point was that anything God had accomplished through his life was based on his skill but on his willingness. Work hard. Work well. Have willingness as you use your skillfulness today.
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