We have a little Sister: Relational Dynamics in Discipleship

⁸ We have a little sister, And she hath no breasts: What shall we do for our sister In the day when she shall be spoken for?
⁹ If she be a wall, We will build upon her a palace of silver: And if she be a door, We will inclose her with boards of cedar.
¹⁰ I am a wall, and my breasts are like towers. Thus I have become in his eyes like one bringing contentment.

‭‭Song of Solomon‬ ‭8‬:‭8‬-‭9‬ ‭KJV

There is no meaningful place for you outside the body of Christ! But having a place in the body of Christ isn’t about being a member of a church or denomination; rather it is first about having yourself sovereignly positioned in the midst of the right people, in the right seasons, in order that you may be properly built up in Him whilst also having the avenue to exercise God’s love and engage in fruitful spiritual transactions.

We Have A Little Sister | Horizontal & Vertical Relationship

• I cannot love God in a vacuum. The truest demonstration of my love for God is in my love for others! ^{1 John 4:20} . So as much as i am connected upward to God, i also have to be connected ‘sideways’ to other brethren in the body.

• Through discipleship, i understand that in my placement in the Body of Christ, I am a little sister to brethren whilst at the same time I have other ‘little sisters’ connected to me.
  Being a ‘little sister’ does not mean they are higher than me in the body (only Christ is); Instead it means the ones who are ‘senior’ to me in Christ are bearing more burden than me in the body by virtue of their maturity. it is a stature issue NOT a value issue!.

• God said in Gen 2:18 that ”It is not good for man to be alone”! Not because Adam needed an extra pair of hands to tend the garden, rather because Adam could never on his own come into the fullness of understanding God’s love for Himself neither would he be able to adequately demonstrate it to creation in his mandate if he had no one like himself to pour love to and receive love from!

• So i am a little sister because God places me such that i can receive love from my ‘seniors’ and also show love to my ‘juniors’ who are little sisters to me in Christ. This exercise brings us closer into understanding God and being like Him.

AND SHE HATH NO BREAST | Made for Divine Connections.

• God wants us to learn that though He has not made us to be deficient, ^{Ps 139:14} He has by design made us to be individually insufficient in ourselves. So we are designed to need each other! Having a little sister and being a little sister reinforces this.

• God is love. And love is relational. Though all sufficient in Himself, yet His ultimate expression of being God is demonstrated through His relationships even more than His creation.

• She hath no breast also helps me understand that God has placed some of the value that I need in those around me – i do not have it all. At the same time i also carry some of the value that my brethren need. It is in coming together in a proper fit (in the person of Christ) that we all can have our needs met and we corporately are not lacking in any spiritual gift which is profitable to edify and build up the body. ^{1 Cor 1:7}

WHAT SHALL WE DO FOR OUR SISTER IN THE DAY WHEN SHE SHALL BE SPOKEN FOR? | Burdened & Caring for other brethren in Christ

• Discipleship teaches us that we have individual and corporate responsibility in our father’s house.

• We come to understand the other poignant lesson of the parable of the prodigal son ^{Luke 15:11-32}: which is NOT to be like the elder brother who cared not for his younger brother nor shared His father’s heart toward him. His younger sibling was more of a son than he ever was even in spite of his error. It is a heart thing!.

• “What shall we do?” tells me i cannot bear the burden alone: so it is “we” to whom the little sister belongs, and “we” all must play our roles to see that she is not found wanting when she is called upon/when Christ comes. We are only as strong as our weakest link.

• Pls understand that getting our little sister ready is not a function of harsh dictatorship, but of loving guidance and exemplary leadership as christ demonstrated for us. ^{Gal 6:1}

• Our highest care and labour after God is to her (the people); not to the building, the instruments nor the programs.
  We must never lose sight of the people in the church! Christ died for them. We easily forget this

IF SHE BE A WALL , WE SHALL BUILD UPON HER A WALL OF SILVER; AND IF SHE BE A DOOR, WE WILL INCLOSE HER WITH BOARDS OF CEDAR. | Adding Value to One Another

• In this Kingdom we build each other up NOT tear each other down.

• As a little sister i am have bigger brothers and sisters from whom i receive spiritual value (they shall build upon me).
  I must remain meek, humble and teachable to be able to receive that which has been placed in them for me.

• I also have little sisters whom i give spiritual value to in kind! (i build upon them). I must be faithful in releasing to them the value which God has placed in me, remembering that i am only a custodian and not their owner thus so i must faithfully build upon them without consideration of compensation and reward except from God who reward all justly.

I AM A WALL, AND MY BREASTS ARE LIKE TOWERS. THUS I HAVE BECOME IN HIS EYES LIKE ONE BRINGING CONTENTMENT | Accountability To One Another

• Even though i have brothers who add value to me in Christ, I mustn’t be lazy and wait only on them – but i must also lean on the Spirit to develop and grow me individually ^{Jude 1:20} so that i can increase the returns of the value originally gifted to me and have more contribution to make the body as a whole ^{1 cor 14:26}.

• As a little sister i must understand that part of the relational dynamic is to be continually accountable to those the Lord has given to me. I must embrace accountability as a fundamental pillar in the journey to becoming like Christ. ^{James 5:16}
  Those who are unaccountable to anyone do not belong to the body and could never hope to bear Christ’s authority.

• As one who has little sisters connected to me, I must be mindful of the fact that they have a voice too and it is no less important than mine! I would do well to give them the room and atmosphere to speak up without the fear of condemnation and castigation. Christ is not interested in raising blind zombies but daughters who can arise like Deborah.

CONCLUDING

Christianity is all about relationship! Our relationship with God and relationship with each other. The buildings, services and everything else exists to ‘facilitate’ this relationship. If they fail to facilitate this; then they are not fit for purpose!
Discipleship is the platform through which we daily practice how to relate with one another in Christ and exercise ourselves in the nature of God who is love.

It is only when we properly define of our relationships within the body of Christ that we can correctly set our expectations and understand what is expected of us per time and set appropriate boundaries in all our interactions.

Have you been properly placed by God on the body of Christ?
Whom are you a little Sister to?
Are they building upon you with the right materials?
Whom do you have as a little sister given to you?
How faithfully have you been building upon them?

⁹ For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building. ¹⁰ According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. ¹¹ For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. ¹² Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; ¹³ Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.

1 Cor 3:9-13