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, inspiring young women to embrace the extraordinary. One of her greatest joys is to journey with the Lord in His Scriptures. She is wife to Drew for over two years and mom to baby Graham. Drew and Emma serve with Upstate CRU college ministry in South Carolina. Emma is an avid writer for Salem Web Network and provides articles on the Bible, life questions, and on the Christian lifestyle. Her article on Interracial Marriage was the number 1 viewed article on Crosswalk for the year 2021. All the glory to the Lord! She had the joy of hosting Her Many Hats podcast where she explored the many roles that women play while serving One God. Most recently, Emma has released her first Bible Study Book, Wildflower: Blooming Through Singleness.

Emma enjoys singing/songwriting, fitness classes, trying new recipes, home makeover shows, and drinking tea! During her ministry career, Emma recorded two worship EP albums, founded and led Polished Conference Ministries, ran the Refined Magazine, and served in music education for early childhood. Emma also had the privilege of having been a national spokesperson for Mukti Mission based out of India. Mukti has been working to restore shattered lives in India for over 120 years. You can view her articles through her blog at emmadanzey.wordpress.com and check out her Bible Study videos on Instagram @Emmadanzey.