Higher Vision
Higher Vision: Equipped by God
Have you ever felt that God has called you to do something, but you didn’t have the faintest idea of how to do it? Maybe you felt that you didn’t have the skills necessary or simply weren’t gifted in that way. Or maybe you felt that you simply didn’t have the resources necessary to do what he has called you to do.
The story that you will be seeing today is about Joseph. Joseph was a shepherd who became the second in command, only to Pharaoh, in Egypt. He didn’t take classes — in fact, he spent much of that time in jail. He didn’t have leadership books, motivational speakers, or fundraisers to help him achieve his goals. He didn’t even pray the prayer of Jabez! Regardless, God fully equipped Joseph to do the job.
There are many other Biblical examples of God equipping those he called:
- Moses had trouble speaking. God equipped him with his brother Aaron to be his voice.
- Esther was a simple Jewish girl in a strange land. God equipped her with the courage to go before the king uninvited. (This was punishable by death if the king did not pardon you.)
- David was a shepherd boy, but God equipped him with the ability to slay giants and be the king of Israel.
- The twelve disciples were ordinary men without theological education. With the exception of Judas Iscariot, God equipped them to be missionaries and church leaders.
I’ve seen many cases, in my life and the lives of others, where God provided the resources, talents, skills, and/or mental fortitude to accomplish his purpose.
For example, shortly after giving my life to Christ, I felt called to write Christian music. I had played piano on and off (mostly off) since second grade, but song writing had always been problematic for me. It would take me weeks to get something resembling a song, and even then, it wasn’t great. In addition, I had a tremendous fear of playing piano in front of other people. One day while reading Romans, I felt inspired to write the song, “It’s Always Been About Faith,” that we’ll look at when we get to the New Testament. The words and accompaniment came almost faster than I could get them on paper, and within a couple of hours, it was written. This led to an entire musical program that walked through the Bible from start to finish. Then, he gave me the courage to play in front of others, an entire ministry was created, and he equipped me with my amazing husband to sing and co-lead the ministry. Through this ministry, several people came to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. God equipped me in many ways to do his will.
The key, of course, is that he will equip us to accomplish HIS purpose in HIS timing. God is not a vending machine to satisfy our every craving. If you desire to play a killer guitar so you can play in a death metal band, God is not likely to oblige you! But if God is specifically calling you to do something, he will take care of anything that you lack.
The next question then becomes, how do we know what it is that God is calling us to do? God’s word tells us some things that all of us are called to do:
“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
“He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”
Micah 6:8 (ESV)
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
1 Peter 2:9 (ESV)
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”
John 14:15 (ESV)
All of us are called to love God, love others, be humble, proclaim Jesus to others, and keep God’s commandments. This applies to all people. But God also has unique callings or purposes for his people based on how he has gifted us already and how he will equip us as we move forward. Although it may be specific to ministry, he may call us to a secular job in order to be a light to others there. Regardless, we have to listen. Here are a few ways that we can listen for God and hear what he is telling us.
- Get to know God. Spend time with him through prayer and Bible study. You wouldn’t expect to know what someone wants you to do if you never talk to them. The closer you grow to God, the more you will be able to hear or feel his voice.
- Be still. In our world today, God’s voice is often drowned out by all of the stimuli around us. It can be difficult to find uninterrupted time to just be still and meditate on God’s word or to pray. I urge you to find that time. It may mean finding a sitter, turning off your phone, or even going into a closet, but find the time. It will not go unrewarded.
- Test everything. God will never call you to do something that goes contrary to his commands. If you feel God is calling you to have an affair, or even to steal from your rich company to give to the poor, it is not from God. God will always find a way to accomplish something without the need to sin.
- Be willing to listen. Sometimes God’s people fear hearing his will for their lives. The first thought that comes to our mind is that he will ask us to abandon our lives here and become missionaries in some remote place! While that may be true for a few, it is not the calling of every Christ-follower. That said, we should always pray for the courage to do what God is asking us to do. It may be scary, and we may feel that we aren’t up to the calling, but if we listen, God will equip us and bless us with unexplainable peace and fulfillment.
- Take everything to God. God is never too busy for his kids, regardless of how small or insignificant something may seem. God may call you for something big while answering something small, or he may do something amazing with the small.
- Be patient. “God, I want to know your purpose for me, and I want it right now!” Sometimes God doesn’t show us things right away. He may be preparing us, preparing others, or setting up the right situation. We need to be patient and hear from God in his perfect timing.
- Be ready to change course. God may have you go in one direction for a while and then send you in a different direction. Or he may only give you the first few pieces of the puzzle and fill in the rest along the way. Trust God that he will not take you down the wrong path.
I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
Philippians 4:13 (ESV)
Songs of Victory
Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Royalty-free images from Videoblocks.com
