Thoroughly Equipped

God had a plan for our lives before birth (Jeremiah 1:5). His first and most important plan for us is that we become His children. Then, when we were saved, His nature on the inside qualified us to fulfill our ultimate calling (2 Corinthians 5:17-18; 1 John 3:9). That calling could be ministry, business, teaching, and many others. But whatever He has called us to do is for the advancement of His Kingdom.

When we discover the plan of God for our lives, we often feel intimidated and unqualified. We don’t believe we have enough education, brain power, or physical strength to fulfill the call. It’s overwhelming, to say the least. I’ve been there. From the time I was eleven years old, I began to get prophecies concerning my future. They all complimented each other, stating my ministry call. However, I was very shy and physically small. Looking at my call in the natural, I would say I wasn’t qualified. Then, one day, I got another prophecy that stated, “The smallness you feel comes from within.” I was looking at myself through my eyes, not God’s. Through His vision, I was qualified because He had what it took to empower me.

The Bible is full of people who had insecurities. Timothy was one of them. He was intimidated by His age, yet the Apostle Paul exhorted him not to let his age be a stumbling block to His boldness (1 Timothy 4:12). Instead, he told Timothy to “stir up” his calling, his gift, and resist the fear that tried to intimidate him (2 Timothy 1:6-7, AMPC).

When God assigns us to do something in life, He’s already thought about what we need to do. Thankfully, He doesn’t expect us to fulfill our calling in our ability and strength (2 Corinthians 12:9-10). Instead, when we were saved, He gave us all the necessary resources to fulfill our mission. He’s made us “thoroughly equipped for every good work” with only the resources He can give.

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17, NKJV).

This verse specifically talks about the Word of God and how it equips us. But God has given us additional “equipment” to empower us in our calling. We’ll look at several of them, including God’s Word.

 

The Word of God

Along with the New Birth, the Word of God is our greatest weapon. In the Bible, we will find everything we need to know about God, His will, and what He gave us the moment we were born again. It’s powerful and will enable us to fulfill our life’s call successfully.

For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart (Hebrews 4:12, NKJV).

 

 The Holy Spirit

Another form of empowerment comes through the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity. Also called our “Helper” and “Comforter,” He holds power from God to guide our way (John 14:16-17). The wonderful thing about the Holy Spirit is that He’s with us constantly. We don’t need to fear being helpless because He lives in us (John 14:16-17).

“Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high” (Luke 24:49, NKJV).

 

The Armor of God

 God also gave us something to wear to equip our calling. It’s called the Full Armor of God. It gives us strength, protection, power, and right-standing with Him. It’s spiritual equipment to wear twenty-four-seven, regardless of how we may physically feel. Without it, we are weak and fair game for challenges the devil may throw at us.

 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—(Ephesians 6:10-18, NKJV).

 

 Prayer

Prayer is also powerful when fulfilling our calling. God has made it clear that we should ask for anything we need. Because we are born again, we have the right to walk confidently into His throne room and simply ask (Hebrews 4:16). When our calling seems too rigorous or we don’t know what to do, a simple prayer of petition will trigger God’s hand to help us.

“And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you” (John 16:23, NKJV).

 

Authority

 God knew we couldn’t fulfill our calling without authority. Though we may have authority over humans, depending on the leadership role we may have, this authority is over the devil and his demons. The devil will do everything he can to stop us from fulfilling our assignment. But if we understand and utilize the spiritual authority God gave us, we can defeat the devil every time he tries to hinder us.

Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you (Luke 10:19, NKJV).

 

Redemptive Gifts

 The redemptive, or motivational, gifts God the Father gave us are yet another tool to help us fulfill our call. They can also help us discover our call as it points out our strengths and weaknesses. Discovering our redemptive gift can help us be confident in who God made us while steering clear of playing comparisons with others.

For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness (Romans 12:3-8, NKJV).

 

Spiritual Gifts

 The spiritual gifts are from the Holy Spirit to assist our lives and help those around us. They empower us to receive or give direction, minister the supernatural to those in need, and reveal the good and bad in situations that should be addressed. We should desire them, especially prophecy. But in the end, the Holy Spirit chooses who and when they flow through (1 Corinthians 14:1).

There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all.  But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills (1 Corinthians 12:4-11, NKJV).

 

Personality

When God designed us in our mother’s womb, He placed in us certain personality traits unique to us. Those traits were put there to support our call and bless others. None of our personalities are flawless, however. Because of outside influences, sin, and wrong thinking, they contain strengths and weaknesses that God will help us repair if we let Him. For instance, I was very timid and shy for the first twenty years of my life (an inherited trait with a root of fear), but God placed me in church and public situations to help me gain confidence and spiritually grow so it wouldn’t hinder me. Whether an introvert or extrovert, bubbly or quiet, God will use each personality trait for His glory.

 

Natural Gifts

God also placed natural gifts inside of us to complete our calling. They may come in the form of science, art, public speaking, or writing, among many others. If submitted to God, He will help us develop those gifts. As an example, I have a ministry call that also includes writing. God placed me in a home with a mother who grew up a bookworm. She, in turn, homeschooled my brother and me, turning us into avid readers. That constant reading as I grew up helped me develop my writing skills so I could minister to others through my work. That was God’s doing. Our gifts will never be fully honed unless they are submitted to the One who gave them to us. But the more we allow Him to shape us, the stronger they will become.

 

As you can see, we do not need to be intimidated by our calling. God has made us “fully equipped” and “able ministers” (2 Corinthians 3:6). Any voice that says we’re not good enough is inspired by the devil, the one who wants to keep us from fulfilling God’s call. Those voices should be ignored, turned off, and replaced with the Voice of God, the One that declares our sufficiency.

God won’t force His equipment on us, however. We must acknowledge and receive them by faith so they can operate through us. It may take time for them to develop in our lives. But as we step out in faith believing we’re fully equipped, God’s calling on our lives will touch every life He’s called us to reach. It is, after all, not our power but His (Zechariah 4:6).

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13, NKJV).