EPHESIANS 4: 11, 12

“So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up."

To Ponder

One of the hardest questions a follower of Jesus can ask is "What am I supposed to do with my life?" We search for purpose, wait for clarity, and sometimes sit still, convinced that until we know our calling, we can't really begin.

But our reading today encourages us to see that God, in his wisdom, didn't leave his people to figure things out alone. He gave gifts, people shaped and placed within the body to lead, to speak, to share good news, to shepherd, to teach. Not as an end in themselves, but for a very specific purpose: to equip. Every leader, every teacher, every pastor exists not to do the work for us, but to prepare us to do it ourselves.

And what is that work? Works of service. Building up the body of Christ.

You and I are called to serve. You and I are called to contribute. You and I are called to play our part in building something that is bigger than ourselves, the living, breathing community of people who bear the name of Jesus in the world.

We don't need to have it all figured out. We simply need to show up, receive what God has placed in your community to equip us, and then use what we've been given in service of others. The body grows when every part does its work and that including yours!

So, the question is not just "What should I do?" It's also "Am I allowing myself to be equipped? And am I using what I've been given to serve?"

 Prayer

Father, thank you for the gift of a body, for the reality that I was never meant to do this alone. Thank you for the men and women you have placed in my life to teach, to lead, and to equip me for the work you have prepared for me. Forgive me for the times I have sat on the sidelines, waiting for a greater clarity that may never come, when you have already placed gifts, people, and opportunities right in front of me. Help me to receive well to be teachable, humble, and open to the equipping you have provided. Open my eyes to the works of service that are already waiting in my home, my church, my community.  In Jesus' name, Amen

Today's devotion written by Pr Nich Kitchen, LifeWay Epping