In my most recent post, I talked about How to be a trailblazer
You can read it here if you missed it, sis
Of the 5 things that I mentioned, one of them was the fact that being a trailblazer often means going first or being the first
which may mean discrimination, isolation, discomfort; people questioning your validity and/or the validity of your vision until God vindicates you- just like Zipporah suffered.
Going first or being the first also means leading by example, which is something that we see through Samson’s mum
To summarise a previous post about her:
The first person to receive the announcement of his birth from the angel of the Lord was Samson's mother
(although the angel did visit a second time to make the announcement to both her and her husband after that)
Within both announcements Samson's mother was also given a set of instructions:
"Now therefore, please be careful not to drink wine or similar drink, and not to eat anything unclean. For behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. And no razor shall come upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb; and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.” (Judges 13:4 & 13-14)
By default of carrying Samson in her womb and receiving the angel's instructions, Samson's mother became a Nazirite
According to Numbers 6:2, a Nazirite was somebody who had “[consecrated] an offering to take the vow of the Nazirite, to separate [themselves] to the Lord". Nazirites could either be male or female and had to adhere to strict lifestyles guidelines, which included those outlined to Samson's mother (no wine, no eating anything "unclean" or cutting their hair) amongst other things (such as not touching or being around corpses).
It wasn't enough that she was the vessel through which Samson entered the world to fulfill his purpose of "[delivering] Israel out of the hand of the Philistines". Also-
It wouldn't have been enough for her to tell him what being a Nazirite involved
Because-
She had to show him by becoming one herself and leading by example
And, guess what?
God is calling us as modern women and leaders to do the same
Whether you’re blessed to be a mother, have a brainchild (such as a business or ministry) or both
In fact my girl, Nicole Herring (pictured with me below), put it so beautifully when I interviewed her a while back
“In order for me to be my brand, I can’t just be a talking head, I have to live [it] out. And so my brand is an example of what is possible for other women, That’s what branding is, it’s that you are a product of what you are teaching and selling, and creating. Your brand is what’s possible for someone else and the only way to do that authentically is to BE your brand and embody it, and be the example”
(She helps motivated women launch businesses with incredible branding, brilliant messaging and a strategy SO GOOD clients say: sign. me. up; so she knows a thing or too)
This is true; authentic leadership
Want to learn more?
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