How Can We Glorify God through Sisterhood?

We see the drama unfold in verses like Genesis 30:1 “When Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, she envied her sister. She said to Jacob, ‘Give me children, or I shall die!’” Or Genesis 30:9 “When Leah saw that she had ceased bearing children, she took her servant Zilpah and gave her to Jacob as a wife.”

These women wanted so badly to be the favorite, the number one, that they missed the blessing of being sisters. Unfortunately, the sins of others affected their own relationship and put strain on them. We can learn from Leah and Rachel to not allow the actions of others to determine our sisterhood. We can remember to be supporters and teammates, not competitors and enemies.

One of the most interesting accounts found in the Old Testament is the daughters of Zelophehad in the time of Moses. These five sisters were owed land as an inheritance because their father has passed and they had no brother (Numbers 27:2–3). When Moses sought the Lord, God told him that the women were right (Numbers 27:5-11). Moses then gave the girls the land that they deserved to live on.

These sisters united to speak up on behalf of a greater cause. When Christ is the center of our sister relationships, we have this same opportunity to unify and be on mission for the gospel. Our sisterhood relationships can be witnesses of Jesus’ existence and work in our lives. Sisters are on mission together for a greater purpose.

1. Am I celebrating my sister?
2. In what ways can I love my sister more effectively?
3. What areas of competition can become places of support and encouragement?

Sisters are a blessing from the Lord. If you have the opportunity to have a sister through family or faith, cherish that. I feel that a great attack on sisterhood relationships is comparison and competition. There is a lot of pressure on girls and women. However, one of the most wonderful support systems can be through those very sisters that the enemy wants to paint as our competitors. Pray through and ponder the questions above and seek God on how you can love the sisters around you.

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Emma Danzey’s mission in life stems from Ephesians 3:20-21, to embrace the extraordinary. One of her greatest joys is to journey with the Lord in His Scriptures. She is wife to Drew and mom to Graham. Emma serves alongside her husband in ministry, she focuses most of her time in the home, but loves to provide articles on the Bible, life questions, and Christian lifestyle. Her article on Interracial Marriage was the number 1 on Crosswalk in 2021. Most recently, Emma released Treasures for Tots, (Scripture memory songs) and multiple books and devotionals for young children. During her ministry career, Emma has released Wildflower: Blooming Through Singleness, two worship EP albums, founded and led Polished Conference Ministries, and ran the Refined Magazine. You can view her articles on her blog at emmadanzey.wordpress.com and check out her Instagram @Emmadanzey.