Our Sunday school lesson yesterday was about the Woman at the Well (John 4:4-26). I have come to love this account because of the way it highlights the kindness of God as He chooses the most broken, the most rejected, the least likely of all to spread the news of who He is! This time, as I taught this passage to our youth, I was reminded of His grace – that He would love us and pursue us in our ugliness but doesn’t’ leave us that way. Through His son, He equips us for a life of royalty and service for Him and with Him.
“Because Jesus is about transformation, about finding us just the way we are, but not leaving us that way.”
Also this week, our Pastor preached on a portion of Ephesians – about how God gives us pastors and teachers to equip us (Ephesians 4:11-12). Later, I did a little word study on the word equip and found that the Greek word “katartizó” means to prepare or perfect for one’s full destination or use; to bring into one’s proper condition.
It wan’t until I was reviewing the sermon this morning that I recognized the connection between these two teachings. Just as He pursued the Samaritan woman, Jesus pursues us out of his love for us and prepares and perfects us for the good work He has for us to do. In this – the preparing and perfecting, the equipping – He gives us purpose and value, and in turn we encourage and equip others. What a beautiful cycle!
“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
Ephesians 2:10
I love word study (I use the Hebrew and Greek Lexicon from biblehub.com) and I decided to follow all the links I could find there to see what Scripture says about how God equips us. Here is a bit of what I discovered:
God equips us through Himself
Submit yourself to God and stand firm in your faith – He promises to restore and equip you.
“And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.”
1 Peter 5:10
God equips us through pastors and teachers
My husband is a coach, and he looks forward to practice because he really wants his players to be well trained. Our pastors and teachers are the same way – they long to encourage and equip us – they want us to be successful in our Christian lives.
“Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what is lacking in your faith.”
1 Thessalonians 3:10
God equips us through other believers
As believers – as people who live in the Spirit – we are to restore and equip other believers by leading them to the Word, praying for and with them, and encouraging them in the Lord.
“Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently.”
Galatians 6:1
God equips us through ourselves
While restoration and equipping ultimately comes through God, we are to participate in the process. As we dig into the Word, spend time talking to God in prayer, and join a body of other believers, we are prepared and perfected.
“Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.”
2 corinthians 13:11
I love how this verse reminds of that God is a God of peace! May you find peace as you pursue his preparation and perfecting.
“Now may the God of peace… equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever.”
Hebrews 13:20-21