Build Your Sister in Christ Communityনমুনা

Day One: Asking God to Define Your Sister in Christ

What does an authentic Sisters in Christ community look like – whether a group of two or more? Sisters in Christ are genuine. They are always willing to speak the truth in love with the goal of helping each other grow. They also choose to work through any relationship issues immediately so small disagreements don’t build into resentment or anger.

Sisters in Christ are encouragers. Instead of giving lectures, they choose to put their arms around each other, pray for one another, and gently point each other back to God’s truth. Sisters in Christ aren’t perfect. Bad days happen, national crises happen, and, let’s face it, hormones (pregnancy, monthly cycles, and menopause) happen. This leads to the next point …

Sisters in Christ forgive and give lots of grace, knowing it will also be returned when they need it. Sisters in Christ don’t gossip. They are quick to listen and, when questioned, reply with, “It’s not my news to tell.” Sisters in Christ aren’t exclusive. They will have other friends who are either part of the sisterhood community or not, and that’s okay. Welcoming others is always encouraged.

Sisters in Christ are true prayer warriors. When they say they’ll pray for each other, they do. Either right then or on their own, or sometimes both. And most of all – Sisters in Christ are a true gift from God to be treasured. Welcome to your Sister in Christ community. I’m so glad you’re here!

Let’s look at what God has to say about the importance of relationships. Throughout the Bible, God’s main theme is “relationship.” First and foremost, the relationship between Him and His children. Second, a loving relationship between all human beings, regardless of race, culture, age, socioeconomic background, etc.

He created Adam and then Eve so that He could fellowship with humans, whom He made in His likeness. The Bible talks about how God was friends with Abraham and communicated directly with Moses, Jacob, Joseph, and Daniel, to name a few. He even went so far as to send His Son, Jesus Christ, to earth, fully God and fully man, to give us a living example of how relationships with our Father and others should look.

In Luke 1, God describes the intimate relationship between Elizabeth and her cousin, Mary. Elizabeth was pregnant with John the Baptist, while Mary was pregnant with Jesus, God’s Son. Before either of the women knew the other was pregnant, it says in verse 41, “When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.” It describes how Elizabeth immediately knew the Son of God was growing inside Mary and that what they were sharing was no ordinary moment or relationship.

Genesis 2:18 states, “‘It is not good,’ God said, ‘that the man should be alone.’” We were made for community, not isolation. This instruction to build community was talking about more than just a marriage relationship, though, since we are given examples of various relationships throughout the Bible. Jesus and Paul both chose to remain single yet had deep relationships with others. Jesus chose 12 disciples to do life with, and from those 12, He had a deeper friendship with an inner circle of three. The Bible speaks about how Timothy was like a son to Paul. And we cannot forget David and Jonathan from the Old Testament, who might have been the first recorded “Brothers in Christ” example.

Lastly, Acts 2:42 is one of many examples found in the Bible regarding the importance of spiritual friendship – encouraging one another, supporting one another, breaking bread together, and above all, loving one another, using the life of Jesus here on earth as our example.

Through all these examples, it’s easy to see God loves relationships and wants us to experience the best of them for ourselves. The rest of this plan will expand upon the guidelines above that keep the Sister in Christ community pleasing to God.

What excites you most when thinking about having a Sister in Christ community?

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank You for making me unique. Thank You for forming me in my mother’s womb with my preferences, interests, and desires. I ask today for You to bring into my life the woman (or women) You would like me to share life with - women of similar faith, values, and beliefs. Women who love and honor You above all, and women who desire to serve You with their whole hearts. I trust You, Lord, and will wait patiently for Your timing, keeping my eyes and ears open to Your nudges and Your leading. I’m excited to see the plan You have for my life.

In Jesus’ Name, Amen