Yes—because God is sovereign and distributes every gift, talent, and ability according to His own purpose.
Scripture and Les Feldick both point to the potter-and-clay picture: the formed object has no right to ask its maker why it was made a certain way. Since every believer receives whatever gift he or she has from God, differences in gifts and talents exist so that no one can boast and the entire body of Christ can be built.
Romans 9:20-21 — Paul uses the potter-and-clay analogy to show that the creature cannot demand from the Creator an explanation for how he was formed.
Romans 12:6 — Directly states that gifts differ according to grace, not according to human merit.
Romans 9:20-21 asks, "Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?" The passage pictures God as the potter with full right over the clay. Romans 12:6 then says gifts differ "according to the grace that is given to us," meaning spiritual gifts are not earned or naturally generated. First Corinthians 4:7 asks, "For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive?" Everything the believer has comes from God. First Corinthians 1:29 explains why God chooses the foolish and weak: "That no flesh should glory in his presence." So Scripture's own explanation for differing gifts is the sovereign will and grace of God.
Les Feldick emphasizes first that God is sovereign and absolute in power. Building on Romans 9, he says a person has no right to turn around and ask God, "Why did You make me what I am?" The potter has power over the clay to make one vessel to honour and another to dishonour. For Les, this does not remove human choice; Pharaoh hardened his own heart by rejecting God's offer, but he still had no ground for complaint. Les applies the same principle to gifts and talents. "Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given unto us" (Romans 12:6) means God, not the person, is in control of gift-giving. Every believer has been given a role—visiting the sick, giving, administration, teaching, or prayer—and you can determine what you are comfortable with rather than forcing something. Even believers who think they are untalented have a gift, because God has given gifted people to carry out His work. Les also explains why people are so different. No one should get puffed up, because "who maketh thee different from another? what hast thou that thou didst not receive?" Everything, even the ability to make money, comes from God, and "we are what we are by the sovereign grace of God." God intentionally uses people who do not have all the credentials so that no flesh can glory in His sight; if He used the extremely gifted person, that person would be tempted to say, "Look what I did."
Les's answer is no. "Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?" (Romans 9:20). Les says this means a person cannot turn around in the face of God and ask why He made him what he is. "We are in no position to argue what He does or why He does it," he explains. God is sovereign, and the potter has power over the clay.
In Romans 12:6, "gifts differing according to the grace that is given unto us" shows that the giving is God's work. Les says, "God imparts your particular gift, whether it's great or small. He's the one who is building the body." Gifts are for serving—some have the gift of visiting the sick, prayer, giving, administration, or teaching—and you can determine what you're comfortable with rather than forcing something.
Les asks, "Why shouldn't God use someone who has all the talent in the world?" The answer, he says, is in 1 Corinthians 1: "that no flesh should glory in God's sight." When successful people have all the right credentials, they are prone to say, "Look what I did." That's why God uses nobodies, so the excellence of the power is seen to be God's, not man's.
Les says every believer—no matter how untalented he or she may think—has a role: "God has given you a gift." He has seen people who thought they had no gift use a gift tremendously without realizing it. The work begins where God puts wisdom and stirs the heart, as with Bezaleel and Aholiab.
Questioning God's Design
Using Pharaoh as an example, Les says a person has no right to complain to God, 'Why hast thou made me thus?' because God is sovereign and Pharaoh rejected God's offer by his own choice.
The Potter and the Clay
Les grounds the answer in the potter-and-clay text: God is absolute in power, and people are in no position to argue with what He does or why.
Every Believer Has a Capacity
Les explains that every believer has a particular capacity to serve—visiting sick, giving, teaching, administration, prayer—and you can discover what you're comfortable with.
Everything We Have Is Received
Les applies 1 Corinthians 4:7 to daily life: everything, even the ability to make money, is received from God, and 'we are what we are by the sovereign grace of God.'
God's Power in Human Instruments
Les says God leaves His work in human instruments so that the excellency of the power is God's, not man's; man can never take credit.
No Flesh Should Glory
Les explains that God often doesn't use people with all the right credentials because otherwise they would boast, 'Look what I did'—no flesh can glory in God's sight.
Gifts Differing According to Grace
Les directly links Romans 12:6 to gift distribution: God is in control of gift-giving and imparts each believer's particular gift because He is building the body.
Every Believer Has a Gift
Les assures every believer, even the untalented, that God has given them a role and a gift; the Lord stirs the heart for the work.
Romans 9:20-21: Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?
This is the key text on God's right to make people different; the creature cannot demand an answer from the Creator.
Romans 12:6: Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;
Shows that differing gifts come by grace, not by merit or human will.
1 Corinthians 4:7: For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?
Asks the question 'Who makes you different?' and answers that everything was received.
1 Corinthians 1:29: That no flesh should glory in his presence.
Explains why God chooses the weak and foolish—so humans cannot boast.
Exodus 36:2: And Moses called Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every wise hearted man, in whose heart the LORD had put wisdom, even every one whose heart stirred him up to come unto the work to do it:
Shows God putting wisdom and stirring hearts for His work, illustrating that gifted people come from God.
According to Les, the potter has power over the clay, and the clay doesn't get to ask, 'Why hast thou made me thus?' God is sovereign and distributes gifts as He chooses.
Yes. Les stresses that every believer—no matter how untalented—has a gift and a role. The Lord puts wisdom in the heart and stirs people to do His work.
Les says God won't let human flesh glory in His sight. When people have all the right credentials, they tend to say, 'Look what I did,' so God often uses those who are nothing.
Watch the Teaching: Does God Harden Hearts? Romans 9:18-24 and the Potter's Clay