e-mail 11/13/6

Something recently brought to my attention that I believe deserves a lot of thought is a passage from Titus 2:3-5. Paul was writing to Titus, a helper in the church located on the island of Crete. In this book in the 2nd chapter, we find Paul writing about the Ministry in the church toward various groups within the church. In the verses above, Paul was writing about/to women. He said, "The older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things - that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the Word of God may not be blasphemed.

If I were going to give a definition of the virtuous woman I would have to say that the above qualifications given by Paul fit the pattern. We have a major "let-down" in today's church in this area. The older women in the church are no longer taking their responsibilities seriously according to the writings of Paul. Where did we go wrong? I have my opinion but I am prejudiced about the matter.

The older women are supposed to be reverent in their behavior. Reverence is "the condition of being greatly respected." According to the "World Book Dictionary, "To revere is to love and respect deeply". It is hard to find a woman today who really cares if she is respected or not. Some women I have known have mouths that should be super glued together because of the filth that comes out. No woman who respects herself, her husband, children, parents, or anyone else speaks with such filth coming from their mouths. We are not stronger by using irreverent language. We are weaklings just trying to act tough. Many of our children are following in their mother's footsteps cursing before they can talk.

We are not suppose to be slanders. - we should be uplifting to others, not trying to tear one another down because we might have difference of opinion."

Not given to much wine" - this is a no brain-er for me. I do not drink, have never drunk, think it is a stupid thing for intelligent people to do and have no intention of starting at this time of my life. (No, I do not use cough medication with alcohol in it.) I do not believe in moderation when it comes to drugs or alcoholic beverages. If Jesus had wanted me to go about drunk, he would have just made me loopier to begin with without my having to smell like a brewery. I do not believe that anything done in moderation is alright, otherwise a little stealing does not matter, a little offensive behavior is alright and a slightly dirty joke is OK. We are called out to be a separate people.

The older (mature) women are to be teachers of good things - THAT THEY ADMONISH THE YOUNG WOMEN TO LOVE THEIR HUSBANDS, TO LOVE THEIR CHILDREN, TO BE DISCREET, CHASTE, HOMEMAKERS, GOOD, OBEDIENT TO THEIR OWN HUSBANDS..." Paul tells what the good things are that we are to teach to the younger women in the church.

1. Love their husbands. How can we teach the younger women to love their husbands when we are on number 2,3,4, or 5? I am not being critical of any particular person/persons here but I knew one young lady in another church who led the young adults, left her husband to be with her new friend, later she married with the church's blessing and divorced in order that she could marry another friend and eventually divorce him. The last I heard she had married again and I've lost track of her and yet she tells the world "I am a Christian and this is how a Christian lives." Wrong! This is not how a Christian woman lives, how a woman loves her husband or the right example for other young women to follow.

2. Women are to love their children. I disagree with anyone who says that if you love your child you will let them be their own little person and act any way they choose. This is not Scriptural. Parents are to be in charge of the home and parents DO NOT LOVE their children if the parents let the kids have charge of the family or be disrespectful to others. I am certified to teach "Parenting by Grace" by the International Mission Board and it has been proven that "out of control kids" are the unhappiest children of all. They are more inclined to do drugs and become alcoholics as teens and adults regardless of their church involvement. Even Jesus was obedient to his father until death. Both of my parents are deceased now but neither one could ever say that I spoke back to them or showed them disrespect in any way.

3. "Discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands" - there is not enough room here to explain each of these but they are not hard to figure out. I am not called to be obedient to anybody Else's husband but to my own and then there is a condition; he is to love me as Christ loves the Church. Any woman loved as Christ loved the church will love her husband in return. Jesus gave his all for the church.

4. The reason of all this is that the Word of God may not be blasphemed. God forbid that we are so callous that we do not care about blasphemous behaviors towards our God. Our behavior in all things matters. The world is going to Hell and we are helping if we are are not trying to make a difference by living like Christians.

There is a great need in churches around America for the older (mature) woman of the church to step up and mentor or befriend the younger women and teach them the things of God. How easy it is to connect to just one of our younger women and make a friend, get to know them. No one is asking that you sit down and teach a "how to" class, just find one young adult woman and become a special friend. For the church's sake, for our families and our children, for the younger women who will take our places in the church and are trying to do without any help, we must step up and do what is right. You might save families; you might save children from growing up confused about how to behave. Our young women are worth the effort and a joy to know. They can't do the task before them without our help. You might make a very dear friend in the process. The young women in our church are needy for adult women who are Christians to be their friends.

I have already identified at least 2 young women who are my special friends. What are you willing to do? My prayer and concern for this day is that you will find just one young woman and Share with her a little of yourself and...

Share God's Love,
Peggy