Equipped: Surrendering Our Lives for God’s Power

When we belong to God, we are equipped with His Power for every season of life, every instance, every circumstance. Surrendering our lives to this truth is essential in our walk with the Lord.

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

2 Timothy 3:16-17, NIV

Surrendering…

Motherhood

If you could see my hair right now, you would believe I am currently the poster woman and the face of all tired moms in the world. I need a shower. Maybe some dry shampoo. Did I wear deodorant today?

Don’t judge me.

I would love to say I handle all that motherhood throws at me from a posture of grace, but I can’t and I won’t. I was having a particularly awful day, full of tantrums and tears. Overwhelmed with confusion, procrastination, and not being able to find the right shoes. That doesn’t even include what the kids were doing.

Then it happened; I said it. Through the sobbing and the blubbering… “I don’t want to be around any of you. I don’t enjoy being a mom right now. I hate this!”

Now before judging me again, I did not say this to my kids. My poor husband had to wade through the mess, and with his approval, I gave myself a Mommy-time-out.

Marriage

I forgot to mention that in the same breath I told my husband I didn’t enjoy being a mom, I also said I didn’t enjoy being a wife. Y’all, I am so thankful Casey is equipped to handle me at my worst. He could filter through the words and truly hear what I was saying.

I needed to take a step away. To remember the pride I had once felt in being his help mate. He knew that God needed to speak to me and I needed to hear Him. I couldn’t do that with all the distractions. It was obvious I needed a quiet place.

Ministry

I also took a ministry-time-out. It was only for two days, but it really helped me evaluate the time and energy I was pouring into tasks. To see the God-ordained missions I had abandoned while doing “Kingdom missions.”

You see, when I feel like I’m not doing a great job at something, I distract myself with something different. I do things I know I’m good at, instead of relying on God’s power to fill in my gaps. I was feeling ill equipped for motherhood and wifehood, so I poured myself into tasks and masking them as advancements for the Kingdom.

Equipped with Power…

I was doing all of these things on my own power, with my own tool box. I ran out of mommy-juice, wife-fuel, and I was starting to run out of ministry energy. All because I forgot, it’s not by my power but the power of God in me.

…for I can do everything God asks me to with the help of Christ who gives me the strength and power.

Philippians 4:13, TLB

It doesn’t matter what special areas are in your life. Maybe you aren’t a mother or a wife. Your life is specifically you. Hear me, you are equipped for this time and the times to come because of the power of Christ in you.

You are equipped for this time and the times to come because of the power of Christ in you. Click To Tweet

Y’all, I believe that God is bringing “equipped” to my attention, because He wants me to rest. Stop running in circles, trying to do it all in my own power. Rest in the truth that whatever is right now or comes along the way, I am already equipped because HE is equipped.

Laura Vinck