Equipped

Today’s Passage: 2 Timothy 3:16-17

One of the many reasons I admire my husband is that he is a dedicated gym member. That is not my gift. But for most of our marriage, he has made it to the gym just about every weekday. I am more of a seasonal gym member. 

As a result, his standards for gym equipment are much higher than mine. And few things annoy him more than “raggy”

gym equipment. Treadmills with loose/saggy belts are probably at the top of his list. Not only are they difficult to run on, they are dangerous. You could slip and hurt yourself or twist an ankle easily when the belt is not moving with you as it should be. I don’t really work a machine hard enough to notice, but for someone as high intensity as my husband, he can feel it right away and has to change machines.

When it comes to your faith, what kind of equipment are you running on?

In this third chapter of his letter to Timothy, Paul spent a lot of time talking with Timothy about the conditions of the world and the people around him he would encounter on his faith journey. And in these final verses, he reminded Timothy to remember what he had already learned and to continue to hold on to his beliefs. Then he closed the chapter with these famous verses:

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Here’s the deal—some of us are getting worn out in the faith, finding it hard to move, or even getting hurt, because we are trying to endure in the faith on the wrong equipment. Paul ended the chapter with this life-saving reminder that we have what we need to deal with the world around us and the storms within us—the Bible. Look at all the reasons why the Bible is the best equipment for this journey!

• Scripture is inspired by God. His life giving Spirit is in every word. Every time we connect with the Word, we connect with Him. There is no greater source of energy.
• Scripture is instructional. Whenever we do not know what to do, the steps have been laid out for us here! Don’t know where to go? Pull out this great map and spend time in Proverbs. Don’t know how to heal that broken relationship? Follow Paul’s guides for love in 1 Corinthians. Wondering how to deal with unexpected trials? Sit down with Joseph or Job or Jesus.
• Scripture is an honest mirror. On your faith walk, friends and family are not always going to tell you that you are just making a mess. Sometimes people love us too much; sometimes they do not want to hold us accountable because that means they have to be accountable too. This is why we need an honest mirror. Looking in the mirror of the Word gives us the opportunity to assess we are weak and call out for even more of Him.
• Scripture is our HGTV renovation show host. Wouldn’t it be discouraging if the Bible only exposed our weakness and did not give us a path back to a fuller life in Christ? Thanks be to God that the Word is here and alive and able to set us back on the right path of restoration. Just ask Nehemiah how God can rebuild!
• Scripture is our coach. This journey is not a sprint; it is a life-long pursuit of looking more and more like Him. Of understanding more of His love and sharing that love with the world. We all need encouragement, we all need new exercises to help us work new spiritual muscles and gifts. The Word is our source to keep stretching and keep growing for the hills and valleys ahead.

What a blessing it is that we have the right equipment! Our job is to use it so that we can live the life we are meant to live and be ready for the good work He has for us.

How can you take better advantage of the Word to train for the journey ahead?

 

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