The Word of God makes it clear that when the Lord calls, He also qualifies. In Exodus 31:1–5, God personally appoints Bezalel and fills him with the Spirit of God—granting wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and skill for the work set before him. This moment reminds the body of Christ that divine calling is always accompanied by divine empowerment. The Christian must eagerly desire such a transformation, confident that Jesus Himself qualifies His people for the work God predestined long before we ever stepped into it. No program, credential, or human preparation can rival what Christ supplies through His Spirit.

Teacher cadet programs offer a helpful natural picture of preparation, but the Christian college or university ultimately points to a greater spiritual reality: God equips His people by His sovereign design. Natural teaching programs do not exist to empower a calling; they recognize potential and cultivate it at a level that matches the teacher. In the same way—but far more powerfully—God calls, speaks, and trains before He sends.

Selection Before Assignment.
Teacher cadet programs identify students with interest and potential before placing them in classrooms. Scripture reveals this principle at a deeper level. God’s calling precedes human awareness or readiness. “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I set you apart” (Jeremiah 1:5). God’s equipping does not begin with credentials, but with His choice. Jesus qualifies the saints not because they are ready, but because He has chosen them.

Training While Still Learning.
Cadets are trained while they are still students—observing, practicing, and growing through guided experience. Likewise, God equips His people while they are still becoming. Ephesians 4:12 speaks of “equipping the saints for the work of ministry,” not after perfection, but through process. Jesus does not wait for completion; He develops faithfulness along the way.

Skills and Character Formation.
Teacher cadet programs emphasize both instructional skill and professional character. God’s equipping goes further still. When God filled Bezalel, He imparted wisdom, understanding, and knowledge (Exodus 31:3)—qualities that shape both ability and heart. Spiritual equipping forms Christlike character alongside practical competence. What God supplies is not merely functional—it is transformative.

Mentorship and Covering.
Cadets grow under the guidance of experienced educators. In God’s kingdom, believers are equipped within a spiritual community of pastors, teachers, and godly mentors. “Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1). Growth flourishes under godly covering, but the ultimate model remains Jesus Himself.

Placement Into Real Environments.
Cadets eventually enter real classrooms, often challenging ones. Jesus sends His followers into real, sometimes hostile fields. “I send you out as lambs among wolves” (Luke 10:3). This is not meant to discourage, but to remind us that we are sent under His authority and presence. Jesus never sends unprepared laborers—He goes before them.

Luke 10:1–3 shows Jesus appointing and sending the seventy into every place He Himself intended to go. Educators in public schools today are modern-day laborers in vast fields. Though the environment may feel restrictive, the Spirit within them is not. Being filled with the Spirit is not reserved for pulpits alone. Through Christ, educators are endowed with patience, discernment, creativity, leadership, and compassion—Spirit-infused gifts meant to shape lives.

Teachers, take heart. Your labor is not unseen. Colossians 3:23 reminds us that whatever we do, we do unto the Lord. Jesus promised the Holy Spirit would teach and guide us into truth (John 14:26). You are sent. You are equipped. Ephesians 2:10 declares that we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works prepared in advance. The One who calls also fills, empowers, and sustains.

Living this educated life,

Candace Floyd