When God Calls a Daughter to be Sarah

The story of Abraham and Sarah fascinates me. What trust of a woman who follows her husband into the unknown, following a God that their fathers did not serve!

Sometimes, we girls dream of following our future husbands that way. In our minds, we are totally dedicated to our husbands – “Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord” (1 Peter 3:6). If God calls our husband to a foreign mission-field, we will go! If God calls him to travel the country, we will go! If God calls him to be a music minister, we will go! We are prepared to follow God through our husbands when that day comes.

But what if God calls our Dad?

If God calls our Dad to a foreign mission field, will we go? (“But there are no eligible young men in Papua New Guinea!”) If God calls our Dad to travel the country, will we go? If God calls our Dad to be a music minister, a pastor, a soul-winning layman, will we go? If God calls our Dad to stand for truth even when others disagree or lead his family in a way contrary to others . . . will we go? Are we prepared to follow God through our Dad?

It looks glorious to be a dedicated little wife, faithfully submitting to her husband (Ephesians 5:22, “Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.”), but to submit to our dads!? When following our Dad means we have to leave friends, lose friends over differences, go where there seems to be no future husbands for us, or be the “different” girl, we are not so ready to be a “dedicated little {daughter}, faithfully submitting to her {dad},” ready to go and support him where God has led him. However, before a girl can submit to her future husband, she has to learn to submit to her Dad (Hebrews 13:17, “Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.” – Ephesians 6:1, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.”).

As a daughter, we have the privilege and honor of being our Dad’s cheer-leading team, his support-group, and his encourager. But we can destroy that privilege by being our Dad’s resistance, his sorrow, and his discouragement.

Though written for all believers, there are a few simple truths that we should apply for being our Dad’s supporter:

~We must strive to keep ourselves in unity with our Dad’s decisions

     Romans 15:5-6 – “Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

     Philippians 2:2 – “Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.”

~We must faithfully pray for our Dad

     1 Timothy 2:1-2 – “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.”

~We must close our lips when tempted to disagree with our Dad’s decisions

     Philippians 2:3 – “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.”

     Philippians 2:14 – “Do all things without murmurings and disputings.”

     1 Peter 3:10-11 – “For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile. Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it.”

~We must forget how our Dad’s decisions affect our wants and support him

     Philippians 2:3a-4 – “but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.”

When God calls a daughter to be like Sarah – to leave her family, her friends, and follow God – God also gives her the grace to follow (2 Corinthians 12:9, “And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”). Sarah could not follow Abraham in her own strength, nor can we follow our Dad or our future husband in our own strength. But: “I can do all things, through Christ, which strengtheneth me.” (Philippians 4:13)

Is God calling you to be a Sarah? How will you respond?