Lately, I’ve been fascinated by the biblical character Deborah. She is extraordinary because, at the time, women were not valued or deemed worthy of leadership—yet God had other plans for her.
You can read her story in Judges 4–5. Her story takes place during a time in Israel when everyone did what was right in their own eyes. It was a season of moral decay, lawlessness, and violence. Consequently, God raised up judges to help bring order to the chaos. The judges were to lead the people and the military, defend Israel, and provide wise counsel. They were charged with leading the people to freedom from their oppressors.
One of the judges that God appointed was a woman named Deborah. She was a prophetess and the wife of Lappidoth. God gifted Deborah with extraordinary wisdom, discernment, and courage. We don’t know the backstory of how He developed those gifts in her, but I surmise that they developed over time. I don’t think Deborah was a young woman when she led Israel—many believe she was in the later years of middle age. Deborah referred to herself as “a mother in Israel” (Judges 5:7). In addition to being a ruler, a warrior, and a judge, she embraced the mothering call on her life. I find that fascinating! She was a model of integrity and courage. She led the people to victory over the evil ruler Sisera. Her victory was so decisive that Scripture says the people of Israel enjoyed rest for 40 years afterward.
As I’ve been studying Deborah’s life, I believe there are some key lessons for those of us who want to be a godly influence in our communities.
3 Lessons from Deborah’s Life
1. Build your credibility by listening (Judges 4:5).
When we first meet Deborah, she is sitting under the palm trees, listening to people’s stories. In your community and mine, there are people who are hurting. Each of them has a story. How intentional are you about creating space to simply listen? If you want to have influence, start by listening—not talking! Listen with empathy and a desire to truly understand. By practicing incarnational listening, you earn the right to speak.
2. Lean into God for wisdom and discernment (Judges 5:1–3).
Deborah was a worshipper. It was her daily practice, not just something she did on Sunday. From that place of experiencing His presence, she learned to listen and recognize His wisdom. Friends, if we’re going to be women of influence, we must become worshippers first. As we worship God daily and lean into Him for wisdom, He will show us where and how to get involved to bring positive change to our communities.
3. Choose courage—but also compassion (Judges 4:8; 5:9).
Choosing courage is often misunderstood as simply speaking hard truths or being combative. Deborah’s compassion for her people led her to be courageous. Before you speak out on any issue, be sure you have listened well first. Ask the Holy Spirit to expand your ability to feel compassion—sometimes for all sides of the issue. That’s actually a good thing! Jesus felt compassion for every sinner and saint. Let’s follow His example: listen to the various issues facing our communities and ask the Holy Spirit to stir up compassion for all involved. As our hearts are shaped with compassion, we will find the courage to bring the needed changes.
Prayer
Lord, in this day and age, You are calling us to be people who influence our culture. Help us to follow the example of Deborah—to lead by listening and demonstrating compassion. Empower me through Your Holy Spirit to be bold in loving others and gentle in leading them. I pray that all who experience me would experience the love of Christ through me.
Becky Harling
