Read Titus 2:3-5
If you were to ask the men of the world what makes a woman attractive, you’d no doubt have nearly 100% of the answers mentioning physical beauty in some sense. If we were to ask the world’s men what makes
To God, younger and older women are attractive by their purity and holiness. God doesn’t look at the outside but the inside. As such we are to teach older women to live reverently. The Greek word translated as “reverent” has as its root the word ‘temple’. Everything in the temple and everything done in the temple had to be holy and fitting to be in God’s presence. What an amazing and lofty calling for the older women in the church. Their lifestyle, their conduct, their daily walk is to be such that it is fitting to be in the Lord’s presence. There is to be a Jesus-like quality to the older women in the church that they are looked up to and imitated by the younger women. They are to be role models for the younger believers.
On the flip side, the older women are not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine. They are to teach (in word and in deed) the younger women in the church.
The world today is telling young women that they are to be super-mums if they want to count for something. They have to have the career, the experiences, the family, the huge designer home and the financial security that goes along with a six figure income. Even though they are married, they have to be independent and self-supporting. They have to put career and self first, children second and husband third or even lower under friendships, fitness regimes and travel experiences.
Biblically speaking the difference between this and what God desires is broad. The younger women are to be growing in certain areas. They are to be loving their husbands and children. This may sound obvious and illicit a ‘Der!!!’ response from people but there is a fundamental difference in a Christian wife’s love for her husband and children. This love is a Jesus like love that puts the needs and desires of the other person above their own desires and needs. It’s the sacrificial love seen at the cross of Calvary in every day practice. Each and every day a young woman with a family has dozens, even hundreds of opportunities to sacrificially demonstrate the love of Christ to her husband and children.
The younger women are to be self-controlled not giving into the lusts of the flesh, the temptations of the world or the lures of the evil one. They are to be trained not to chase after their sinful cravings, things and achievements to boast in and/or the lusts of their eyes as per 1 John 2:15-17.
They are to grow in purity and holiness as discussed and they are to be busy at home. This is not an injunction against women working but rather highlights the folly and temptations of idleness. Proverbs 31, for example, lists the characteristics of a noble woman and as you peruse the verses you’ll notice that its far more than housework and dinner preparation!
They are to be kind, obviously to their family but also to the wider community and to all those with whom they have contact. They are to be subject to their husbands – which is very unpopular in the eyes of the world. It means that they are not to be quarrelsome or disagreeable to the leadership of the husband.
Only at the end of the list are we told why younger women are to act in the way described in verses 3-5. It’s so that the word of God will not be maligned or ridiculed or mocked. Again, a literal translation from the Greek could read ‘… so that the Word of God might not be blasphemed’.
The purity of our lives prevents people from having cause to blaspheme the Word of God. These women are called to be so pure and holy, so reverent in their lives that though others would desire to malign the Word of God, they are ashamed of their abuse and conduct as they see the purity ad reverence of the lives of the Christians.
Prayer:
Use the day’s reading notes and Bible passage to pray meaningfully:
Adoration:
Confession:
Thanks:
Supplication:
· Pray for the women in your congregation - that they would be pure and holy and living reverent lives that bring glory to God .Pray that God would bring women into relationships where older women can be teaching the younger women.
1. Describe how God wants older and younger women to act?
2. Why does God want this?
3. What are the benefits of women acting in the way that God wants?
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