When God Calls Us, He Equips Us!

My last blog I wrote about God asking us to serve. Jesus asked us to make disciples of all men (Matthew 28:19-20).  There are many ways to serve. We all are gifted in different areas. I can list many ways that we are used differently. After all we do serve a creative and mighty God.
Even though we have read this in the Scriptures many times, we have heard different messages preached, we still tend to think of ourselves as inadequate. We tend to look at ourselves as not equipped as the other, or not as capable as the other, or not as "gifted" as the other.
That may be true for specific things, but it is not true when God has called you to do something specific for Him. God promises in His Word to equip us in the area He has asked of us.
One of the keys is feeling confident. We often question ourselves, did God really ask me? Did God tell me something different? Was that God or was it something I ate the night before? Yes, I've asked myself the same questions.
Philippians 1:6 Amplified Bible (AMP)
6) I am convinced and confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will [continue to] perfect and complete it until the day of Christ Jesus [the time of His return].
These are the words of encouragement the Apostle Paul gave to the church in Philippi.  Jesus knew the church needed to hear these words. And His Word remains true to this day and forever. He knew we also would need that encouragement.
Whatever God has placed on your heart, whatever He has asked of you, He will equip you. He won't begin equipping you and stop midstream. He will finish what He has started in you. He will teach us, make us grow, and definitely use us.  He will not ask us to accomplish anything impossible. He will not ask us to do a work we are not equipped to do.
How do we become equipped or able? I am convinced that our life's lessons equip us and prepare us. We do not start out in life knowing all of the answers. When we decide to follow Christ, we do not know all of the answers immediately. As we read His Word, and study His Word, He teaches us, He fills us with wisdom and knowledge. The Scripture in Philippians tells us Jesus will continue to perfect His work in us and complete it the day of His return. So our entire life, Jesus is teaching us, molding us, preparing us for the work He has asked us to do. If you remember from my last blog, He never leaves us, we never walk alone.
We all have gone through trials in our lifetimes. We have faced tragedies, illness, loss, hardships, and so on. All of those things, along with the good things we have experienced, Jesus will use them to teach us and equip us. We must remember to thank Him for the wisdom we will gain during the bad times. So often we only remember to thank Him during the good times in life.
We never walk alone! He is always by our side. He is always guiding us, paving our way. And one huge thing to remember, we will not fail. Even if we did not accomplish what "we think" we were supposed to, we did not fail. Jesus is never disappointed in us, especially when our intent is to serve and obey Him. We are not perfect, we will make mistakes. but Jesus is still by our side and loves us regardless.
Faithful readers, I pray these words encourage you. I pray that as you go through life, and you feel deep in your heart that Jesus has asked something of you, that you feel honored as His servant that He trusts you, and that you feel encouraged and hopeful in that new task.  Hang on to the words above in Philippians. They are true and for you.