Do you feel 'Equipped'?

One term I hear a lot when I'm talking to people in church circles is the whole concept of 'being equipped for ministry'. Working alongside young believers, I see a real desire to learn more about what it means to lead people and how they can find the skills/tools to do that. This is what many would call 'being equipped'. It is the idea that we need more than what we already have to become the leader we aspire to be.

It was while reading a book recently ("You see bones, I see an army" by Floyd McClung), that I was introduced to the New Testament Greek meaning of the word 'Equip'. The word is katartiðzw and it's definition is below:

to render, i.e. to fit, sound, complete to mend (what has been broken or rent), to repair to complete to fit out, equip, put in order, arrange, adjust to fit or frame for one's self, prepare ethically: to strengthen, perfect, complete, make one what he ought to be

This word is used 13 times in the New Testament. An example being Hebrews 13:20-21:

20 Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, 21 equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

It struck me that this definition does not talk about an addition to self, but a fixing/mending/strengthening of what is already there. For me this says that we already have been given the 'tools' we need, but they are in fact broken or not used. It encourages the idea that God has created us with characteristics, personalities, skills and talents to live the life he's called us to, but as a result of living in a fallen world, these have been damaged, tarnished, not realised or accepted.

When we think about 'Equipping' people, are we focusing on the areas of their life that need fixing or mending? Are we asking God to bring restoration and redemption to their lives, rather than putting people in boxes? By this I mean having the assumption that a leader/christian should be a certain way and moulding them in that way, or are we allowing God to make them the unique person that they were meant to be by allowing Him to do his thing and posturing ourselves humbly to guide with spiritual wisdom and discernment.

Through my relatively short experience of seeing God work in people's lives, this 'journey to the heart' is something I can really relate to. As we see young people come with the desire to be trained and sent, it usually results in God taking them to the dark, rejected, broken places that he wants to heal, mend and restore in their hearts. I truly believe that we've all been made with unique gifts, talents and experiences that have been given to us to reach the people we most relate to. Unfortunately, for different reasons, we have been hurt, had doubts, suppressed and struggled on in our own strength, with our own coping strategies and techniques. Normally, our greatest fears are an indication of where our passions lie. We need God's love to replace that fear so that he can equip and release us in those areas. Do we trust God enough?

To be 'equipped' by God is a difficult, painful process (if anyone has had a bone put back in place they would know what I mean). It's painful because we have to face up to ourselves and our own weaknesses and hurts in order to allow God to prod at places that are soft and tender. Many of us shy away from this, but if we allow it, then I believe we will come through much stronger. There is also a sense of adjustment, maybe a changing of worldview that we hold. It's not quite as glamorous as people seem to think, but it is a core part of discipleship (which is another can of worms for another time).

These are just my initial thoughts. I would love to hear what comments you have.

What is clear to me is that I think we need to be aware of what we are saying when we are offering to equip people.

Who does the equipping?