How difficult it can be to remain constant in cheering on our brothers and sisters in Christ, loving and praying for them, even when life gets hard. I’m not going to sugar coat it, sisterhood can be hard, especially when we seek self-promotion over simply pursuing our King unified. However, as Jesus did, we are called to champion one another, supporting our sisters in Christ as they chase after their God-given talents and dreams.
W\hat a sweet privilege it is to cheer each other on as we seek to better know our creator, a privilege often taken for granted.
I believe that in reading the Gospel, Jesus says that as believers, we should be unified in heart, mind, and mission. This means that when someone else experiences a victory while you sit in a seemingly dry season, you can celebrate her success because you both have the same mission – furthering God’s kingdom.
“Finally, all of you be like-minded and sympathetic, love one another, and be compassionate and humble.” -1 Peter 3:8
Truth be told, there will come a time when your armor is too heavy to put on – you’ll feel overwhelmed and unqualified. The beautiful part of this picture is your sisters in Christ surrounding you, as they lovingly put up their shields to fight for you. I believe this is an active display of Galatians 6:2 which says, “Carry one another’s burdens; in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ.”
In 1 John 4:21, John dropped some incredible truth saying, “We have this command from Him: The one who loves God must also love his brother and sister.” As God’s daughters, we should never harbor jealousy, bitterness, or hate towards our sisters in our hearts, because when we do, there is absolutely no room for love. We are all daughters who need each other, so call out the good in your sis, speaking life into and encouraging her.
What John didn’t say was, “Love your brother and sister when it’s fun, convenient, and easy.” Why? Because more often than not, love requires sacrifice.
Division is of the enemy and in order to stand united, we must humble ourselves to serve each other. One of my favorite verses is Hebrew 3:13. It says, “Encourage each other daily, while it is still called today so that none of you is hardened by sin’s deception.” Can we stop trying to outdo the people God gave us to build up? Instead of living in the pits of comparison and envy, let’s link arms as we commit to encouraging and supporting our brothers and sisters in Christ. After reading this, I would like to encourage you to sit down and come up with someone whose safe place you want to be – a place she knows she can come and leave feeling loved, encouraged, and even challenged. A key in championing one another is welcoming everyone, despite their brokenness, past mistakes, or failures.
If you’re reading this, asking God where you can find your community of believers, I’d encourage you to wholeheartedly seek the Lord. When you do that, committing to His ways, He will put those ladies in your life – the ones that call out the gold in you and push you out of your comfort zone for the sake of furthering God’s kingdom.
Sometimes the investment of these friendships seems like too much of a commitment, but this sacrificial love so closely mirrors our perfect Savior.
S A C R I F I C E –
If you’re feeling as convicted reading this as I am writing it, I’ve come up with 4 things to ask yourself in the evaluation of how well you champion your sisters in Christ: Do you pray for them on a regular basis? Do you take time to listen to them, without interrupting as they talk? Are you willing to sacrifice for them? Do you build them up, reminding them who they are in Christ?
Finding and maintaining these friendships takes work, a lot at times. However, according to Proverbs 17:17, a friend loves at all times – the victorious, the ugly, and even the inconvenient.
Right here, right now, pick up your phone and send that text. The simple, “I don’t know specifically what you’re facing, but I’m cheering you on and here if you need anything. Let’s grab coffee sometime soon.”
It will be worth it, I promise, you just have to be willing to accept the challenge. I’m cheering you on.
Let’s be friends,
Mckenzie Louise @Shiningforthelord
