There is no question that my life has been greatly impacted by the presence of really amazing, godly women; women who were a part of my story and perfectly suited for the season of life I was in at the time that our paths crossed. Whether I was stepping into marriage, becoming a new mom, or simply wanting to grow in my relationship with Jesus, there has always been a woman who was a season or two ahead of me, willing to show up and walk with me right where I was at.
I didn’t necessarily see it at the time, but looking back, it is clear that God hand-picked specific women who were able to step in and teach me, pray for me, and correct me effectively in the way I needed it most. Remembering these women and the role they played in shaping my life leads to deep gratitude to God.
When I was 20 years old, my mom passed away from cancer. That shifted my entire world. I was young and single with a whole lot of life yet to be lived; a season where a girl could really benefit from having her mom around. But being the independent, self-sufficient person that I was, I was determined to prove to the world that I could make it on my own.
Many people offered to help in life’s big moments, but I rarely took them up on it. For a while, I did manage to carry on and accomplish all that I needed to do. But after getting married and having a couple of kiddos, I began to desperately need the wisdom and insight of other women in my life.
Enter Priscilla Smith. She was this beautiful, funny, classy woman in her early sixties who loved Jesus and her husband, Scott, something fierce! Affectionately known as Prissy in our community, she was the kind of person who seemed to effortlessly shine the light of Jesus everywhere she went. She was the first of many that God brought my way and blessed my life with. She made herself available, invited me to her home on countless occasions, and taught me so much about life. In Priscilla’s presence, I could laugh, cry, be angry, hurt, celebrate, and mourn. She was a safe space for my life and always pointed me to Jesus.
In addition to all that, she and Scott also gathered several of us 20-something couples together on occasion for dinner—a time to just glean from them. They were an amazing team that ministered generously to so many.
Are they ringing any bells? Maybe you’ve heard of another Priscilla and her husband, Aquila. They are mentioned a handful of times in Scripture and seem like the exact template for my friends Prissy and Scott.
In Acts 18:24-26, we see them in action in the life of Apollos.
Now, there came to Ephesus a Jew named Apollos from Alexandria. He was an eloquent man, well-versed in the scriptures. He had been instructed in the Way of the Lord, and he spoke with burning enthusiasm and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained the Way of God to him more accurately.
Priscilla and Aquila saw Apollos for who he was and the gift that was in his life, so they chose to lean in and disciple him; no doubt helping him grow in his knowledge of the Gospel and, from what we read in Acts 18:27-28, a more fruitful ministry. A few things really stand out to me in Priscilla’s story:
Priscilla and Aquila did not wait for Apollos to come to them. They approached him, took him aside, and taught him. I love the respect shown and the Biblical modeling of approaching a brother and working things out one-on-one with him.
They did not simply find fault with Apollos and his lack of knowledge and walk away. They saw the potential there and chose to help him move toward that.
They opened their home to not only discipleship but also to be a regular gathering place for the Church. (1 Corinthians 16, 2 Timothy 4, Romans 16:3-5)
Also worth mentioning from this passage of Scripture is the willingness of Apollos to submit to their wisdom and instruction. Discipling requires a willingness on both sides of the relationship to show up with humility and growth in mind. In the same way that Priscilla and Aquila were alert and aware, ready to step into opportunities to help build the Church, Apollos also had to be willing to submit to them and receive instruction. He recognized he had more to learn and, with the right humility, chose to align himself with fellow believers who could be trusted to teach, inform, and help him grow as a believer and teacher.
When we have a teachable spirit, there are so many possibilities for growth in our lives. The opposite posture, one of isolation or being prideful, can open the door to poor judgment, sin, and stagnation. If we’ve adopted an attitude of “I’ve got this—thanks but no thanks,” we may miss out on the beauty of how the body of Christ is meant to function together in community. What a generous gift when a fellow believer walking with Jesus wants to walk with us, pray for us, and impart wisdom to help us grow in our relationship with the Lord and the call on our lives.
There are countless biblical stories of women who gave selflessly, generously, and heroically for the advancement of the Gospel and the salvation of God’s people. Some women were in the spotlight, like Esther, who risked her life to go before King Xerxes to rescue her people (Esther 5), or Deborah, a judge and prophetess who led Israel into battle alongside Barak to defeat Sisera and Jabin, the king of Canaan (Judges 4-5). I admire these grand stories of bravery and triumph, but I also deeply admire the quieter, more subtle stories where individuals faithfully serve the Gospel in their own unique ways, somewhat behind the scenes, simply being faithful to God and His call on their lives.
And that’s Priscilla—a woman who faithfully and quietly played a pivotal role in shaping the early Church.
My life has been deeply impacted by women just like Priscilla—Prissy, Rochelle, and Sheri Rose—and I pray God leverages my life to be this same kind of woman to others. I am inspired and desire to live a life marked by faithfulness to God’s call on my life, and that it would spill over into the lives of those around me to encourage them, pray for them, speak truth to them, and disciple them to love and live for Jesus with an undivided heart. This is a continuation of the beautiful role of faithfully and quietly serving to shape the Church in today’s world.