Devotional message from NAD Women’s Ministries

Some years feel like a smooth, well-marked road. I hope 2025 felt like that for most of its past 348 days.

But … maybe you’ve felt off-kilter—pulled in a dozen directions, disappointed by doors that didn’t open, or bruised by situations that seemed unfair or confusing. Maybe you’ve poured yourself out in your home, your church, your workplace, and quietly wondered, “Does any of this really matter? Does my part matter?”

In God’s kingdom, the answer is a resounding yes. You are mission critical!

“Mission critical” describes something essential to the success of the objective. If it fails, everything is at risk. Women have always been mission critical to God’s work, often without applause, platform, or spotlight.

Think of the women in the life of Jesus and the early church:

  • Joanna, Susanna, Mary Magdalene and many others supported Jesus and the 12 disciples from their own means (Luke 8:1-3)
  • Mary, Jesus’s mother, his aunt, Mary the wife of Clopas, Mary Magdalene, Salome and others stood near the cross as he was crucified (John 19:25, Mark 15: 40-41)
  • Mary Magdalene was the first to see Jesus after his resurrection and shared the news with the disciples (John 20:11-18)
  • Lydia (Acts 16:14-15, 40), Mary, mother of John Mark (Acts 12:12), Priscilla with Aquila (Romans 16:3-5) and Nympha (Col 4:15) all hosted the early Christians in their homes

Their faithfulness was not “extra.” It was essential, mission critical.

History echoes this, too. Mavis Batey cracked enemy code’s, leading to a pivotal British victory in War War II and massive breakthroughs in counterespionage. Katherine Johnson’s mathematical calculations lead to the success of the space program in landing after orbiting the earth. Their quiet, exacting work changed the course of history.

The world may overlook this. Heaven does not.

You are mission critical, but everything you get caught up doing may not be. It is important to know the difference. We can spend so much energy on things that drain us but don’t actually advance God’s purposes—perfect plans, flawless events, everyone’s approval, or getting our own preferences met.

A helpful question is: If this doesn’t happen exactly the way I want, will God’s mission actually fail? If the answer is no, then it may not be mission critical.

What is mission critical?

  • Staying rooted in Jesus.
  • Loving people more than appearances.
  • Protecting unity more than our pride.
  • Choosing prayer instead of panic.
  • Prioritizing people over perfection.

That’s where our time, our hearts, and our “yes” matter most.

As we close out 2025 and step into 2026, the holiday season whispers a steady truth: Emmanuel, God with us, has not left us. Even when things did not go as planned, He was there. Even in the hardest parts of this year, He was shaping you, holding you, and preparing you for fruit you may not see yet.

Jesus says in John 15:16 that you are chosen and appointed. You are not a spare part in God’s story. You are wanted and placed on purpose. Your obedience, your prayers, your presence, your “yes” to God in this next season is mission critical.

As you cross the threshold into a new year, let this be your declaration:

I am called.

I am chosen.

I am appointed.

I am mission critical.

—This devotional is based on NAD Women’s Ministries Director DeeAnn Bragaw’s message “I Am Mission Critical” and is republished from the December 15, 2025, NAD Women’s Ministries Email Newsletter. To watch the full sermon preached at the 2025 Passionate Leader Summit, click here. Photo supplied by Pauline Misiak.