Spiritual Discipline // CELEBRATION
By Donia Hovet
This past Sunday was Mother’s Day. My husband knows that one of my main love languages is “acts of service” (and gifts!). When he instructs the kids to do my LEAST favorite chores-cleaning the shower/tub, HAND-scrubbing the kitchen floor-I feel so valued and loved. They celebrate my hard work as a mom by letting me take a break!
Celebration is so important. God shows us this in his word. As we read through the Old Testament, we see that God actually instituted rhythms of celebration into the traditions of chosen people. Celebration was LAW! Amazing!
This past week, Isaac laid out a foundation for how we get to celebrate women in leadership. This is a value of ours here at New Hope as part of the Pentecostal movement. We believe that God’s Spirit was poured out on ALL flesh: men and women alike, as the prophecy of Joel predicted. We read how this came to fulfillment in the book of Acts as the Holy Spirit descended upon men and women and both genders spoke in tongues.
This week, we had an opportunity to celebrate our moms. Motherhood is a biological imperative that only the female gender can fulfill. This is a marked anointing of God and worthy of honor. But throughout history, this was the dominant way that females gained their worth. Brothers and sisters, it should not be so! God’s word shows us a trajectory of celebrating women for ALL of who God created them to be, not just what has been culturally appropriated upon them. Today we’re going to take some time to celebrate and affirm the women in our lives, edifying them for all that God has deposited in them and how they are stewarding their giftings in courage and faith.
Application:
- SCRIPTURE: Read Galatians 3:26-28. Meditate on what this means for your life and participation with the body of Christ.
- CELEBRATE: Text, call or write a letter to 5 women who have made deposits in your life. This could be a mom or grandma, a daughter or niece, a pastor or leader or the barista at your favorite coffee bar. Celebrate them with specificity.
- REFLECT: Consider Isaac’s alert toward a “zero sum” mentality when it comes to gender equality. How have you seen this play out in media, entertainment, and culture as a whole? How has it played out in your life?
- RECEIVE: Ask the Holy Spirit to continue bringing clarity to your heart and mind as it pertains to female leadership in your life.