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| | Titus
2:3 -- Our Goal
The
following is a Bible study posted on our Bible Study Group.
Happy Thursday, everyone!
I've been out of town most of the week, and it's so good to be home. It was a pleasure to read all of your messages. :-) My
computer has been acting funny -- not wanting to even turn on, yikes! -- so I'm borrowing my husband's computer tonight. He's
out coaching at football practice, and I only have a few minutes until he returns...
so I'm praying my fingers work quickly tonight!
Tonight we're going to begin looking at the Apostle Paul's definition of a godly woman. Sometimes I read the description of the
excellent woman in Proverbs 31, and I feel it's somehow unattainable. Yet in Titus 2, Paul teaches that ALL the older women in
the church are to act like this. Amazing....
This is what he says:
But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine: that the older men be sober, reverent, temperate, sound
in faith, in love, in patience; the older women likewise, that they be reverent in
behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things... (NKJV)
Verse 3 lists four specific characteristics of a godly older woman.
According to the ongoing poll at yahoo http://groups.yahoo.com/group/anneshomeyplace/surveys?id=754992
we have many more younger women than older women in our group. Does this mean that we younger women should read this list, then go to
church next Sunday and criticize all the older women who don't seem to "fit the bill"? No way!
This list should be a goal for us younger women to begin working on now. My husband does something similar. He has never
felt God's specific call to be a pastor of a church, but he does look at biblical
descriptions of deacons (such as in 1 Timothy 3:8-13). Often around New Years' Eve, he'll look at the list and make goals for improvement
in himself during the coming year. I think he fits the qualifications very well now, but since he's still a "younger man", he's constantly
trying to improve. (And yes, I'm a little biased....)
In the same way, we younger women should take this list and make goals for improvement in ourselves, so that WHEN we're
officially "older", we'll be ready for the jobs God has for us.
Of course, one of the best ways to develop these character qualities in ourselves is to associate with godly older women who
really do exemplify everything God wants in a woman. Instead of rushing to socialize with all the other young moms after
church on Sunday morning, in a junior high fashion, we should take time to get to know
and learn from the godly older women. As you can guess, we'll talk about this more in coming weeks.
So what type of older women are we looking for as we search for wise mentors?
(1) reverent in behavior
(2) not slanderers
(3) not given to much wine
(4) teachers of good things
Next week we'll look at these qualities in more detail. For now, I have an assignment for you. I'd love to hear stories about older
women you know who exhibit these qualities! Please write and brag about some sweet lady who has had an affect on your life.
(And while you're at it, if she has e-mail, send a copy of your story to her, too. What a blessing!)
If you would
like to participate in our current study, click
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Next - Titus
2:3 -- Behavior As Becometh Holiness
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