Happy Monday! I hope you all had a great weekend serving the Lord!
This week’s devotion is… “Sisters in Christ”written by Jeri Lynn Wilkerson! Please take the time to read as she shares her heart with us today!
Make it a GREAT WEEK!
Sisters in Christ – Jeri Lynn Wilkerson
One of my favorite verbs in the Word of God is the word edify. It means to “build up.”
Strong’s Concordance gives these original meanings of the words found in I Thessalonians 5:11. “Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.”
Comfort –to call to one’s side, call for, summon / to console, to encourage and strengthen by consolation, to comfort /to encourage, strengthen / to instruct, teach
Together – one another, reciprocally, mutually
Edify – to build a house, erect a building
-to build (up from the foundation)
– to restore by building, to rebuild, repair
– to found, establish
– to promote growth in Christian wisdom, affection, grace, virtue, holiness, blessedness
– to grow in wisdom and piety
As Christians, our lives should be edifying other believers and unbelievers as well. To be edifying Christians, there must be intention. Specifically, my thoughts go to how we as women can be edifying sisters in Christ – strong, loving, and supportive.
EDIFY our own lives. (“building up yourselves”) Become strong in the LORD. ♥ STRONG
EDIFY our families. (“building her house”) Influence family members.♥ LOVING
EDIFY other women in and out of the church. (“edify one another”) ♥ SUPPORTIVE
Let’s begin with Scripture explaining our position in Christ as sisters.
♥ WE ARE SISTERS IN CHRIST THROUGH SALVATION. (Ephesians 2:1-10 KJV)
1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: (SUPPORTIVE)
7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
Apart from the blood of Jesus shed for our sins, we could have no true connection as members of God’s family.
♥ WE ARE GROWING INTO STRONG, LOVING & SUPPORTIVE SISTERS IN CHRIST. (Ephesians 3:14-21 KJV)
14 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, (SISTERS)
16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; (STRONG)
17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; (LOVING)
19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.
The more we know our Father, the more we can enjoy the benefits of sisterhood in His family.
Building up yourselves – being strong in the Lord and being a peaceful person (JUDE 1:20-25)
20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,
21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
22 And of some have compassion, making a difference:
23 And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,
25 To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.
BE STRONG IN THE LORD
The Bible instructs all believers to be “Strong in the Lord” and in the power of His might. There are many examples of strong women in God’s Word. Deborah, Esther, Ruth are a few. What about the mother of Jesus, Mary? Can you imagine how she endured the talking when she was carrying the Christ child in her womb while not yet married? Can you imagine the strength required to ride miles on an animal to Nazareth to pay taxes when her baby was near delivery time? Can you imagine loving a child and knowing this Child would suffer the most awful torture before death? Mary did not have to tell and yell to the world that she was a strong woman. She was quietly strong in the Lord. The woman in Proverbs 31 was clothed in “strength and dignity.” She had her own business. She reached out to those in need. She honored her husband who was known in the gates. She was an exemplary mother, and her children understood that. She had great faith in the Lord because she knew she would rejoice in time to come.
HOW DO WE BUILD OUR PERSONAL LIVES IN CHRIST?
Seek Him.
Talk to Him.
Listen to Him.
Read His Love Letter to you.
Study His Words.
Memorize His Words.
Meditate on His Words.
Obey His Words.
I cannot expect those I love to be my strength. I can only find it in Christ. I cannot expect those I love to strengthen themselves in the Lord if I’m not doing it myself. (Psalm 28:7)
Realize that strength from God usually comes through the times of weakness that the Lord allows to come into our lives. When a trial comes into our lives, we can expect that God will grow us or mature us in some way if we want Him to. (2 Corinthians 12:9)
Study the character traits of God. Know Who He is and how He operates. Know “Whom ye have believed.” Know and believe He is good and faithful. He will never leave you. He will never fail you. (Hebrews 13:5)
KNOW WHO YOU ARE IN CHRIST!
KNOW WHO YOU HAVE IN CHRIST!
KNOW WHO KNOWS EVERY DETAIL ABOUT YOUR LIFE!
KNOW THE GOD OF ALL GRACE!
If I want to help and support others in their needs, I must be able and strong enough myself to walk with them. If I try to help another find strength for their journey, but I do not care for my own soul, my help to others will be limited.
If I do not feed myself for a long period of time, soon I will not have strength to prepare food to feed my family. I cannot bypass my own need for God in order to help others in their need for God.
2. Building up your house – loving those entrusted to your care and influence by God (Proverbs 14:1-4 KJV)
1 Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands.
2 He that walketh in his uprightness feareth the Lord: but he that is perverse in his ways despiseth him.
3 In the mouth of the foolish is a rod of pride: but the lips of the wise shall preserve them.
4 Where no oxen are, the crib is clean: but much increase is by the strength of the ox.
Verse 1 – When I speak, do my words build? Building is not the same as flattery. Scripture says flattery is a sin because it is speaking something untrue in order to gain personal favor. Consider a builder who has a construction crew building a house. If there is a 2×4 stud that is crooked, the builder is not going to say “Oh, you are just the best worker!” in order for the construction crew to like him. No, a wise builder will speak respectfully to the crew about the crooked needing to be made straight – not only for the benefit of the builder, but for the growth of the crew as well.
Verse 4 – Without an ox plowing a field, there will be no harvest. We can’t have the blessings of family without the messes of family. We can’t have a homecooked meal without the kitchen needing to be cleaned up afterward. The only way to have no more laundry is for no people to need laundry washed. Those whom God has given us to care for are specific assignments and gracious gifts from His hand.
3. Building up each other – supporting each other with grace, goodness, and godliness (Romans 15:1-7 KJV)
1 We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.
2 Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification.
3 For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me.
4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.
5 Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus:
6 That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
7 Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God.
As believers, God has made us sisters in Christ. We are FAMILY. God’s Family. The church is a body of believers. We are to be the hands and feet of Jesus. We should desire to edify all men, but “especially those who are of the household of faith. “ Galatians 6:10 states: “As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.”
Think about a family meal. When someone is not there, you miss them and feel incomplete. Church is important. Many times we think about what we can get out of church, but think about how your presence may encourage and strengthen other sisters in Christ. Just your smile, sincere compliment, or encouraging conversation may help another tremendously through the next week.
In summary of who we are as sisters in Christ, here are the lyrics to a short song I wrote for our Galilean Ladies Conference this year at our church.
“Sisters in Christ by the blood of Jesus,
Created by God – so loved by our Father;
Through the Holy Spirit, loving one another,
Sharing with each other His Word –
We are sisters in Christ, sisters in Christ,
Building up our faith in the Lord.”
© 2024 Jeri Lynn Wilkerson
The sheet music is available to download at the link below. There is a coupon for HELPERS OF JOY. Use the code JOY24 at the checkout to get it for free through the rest of the summer! Share the coupon code with other sisters in Christ.
https://www.morningjoylife.com/product-page/sisters-in-christ-c
If you would like it in a lower key (Ab), please contact me, and I will make that available.
This link is a short piano video of the song. https://youtu.be/yZqxWyUv_pI?si=iJtWEwmSRRl87VBG
Let us all seek to be strong in the Lord and to edify each other as sisters in Christ.
https://www.sappsolutely.com/devotions/sisters-in-christ-jeri-lynn-wilkerson
