These were women that served their husbands and their families and they understood that calling. We are now able to see the fruit of their walk, their devotion to Christ, and the understanding of their calling. As we were talking about these women, the question came up, "do we have women that are living the same way today?"
Why is it that so many women in the church struggle with their calling? they want something more... or they sadly look forward to the day when their children will be in school or move out of the house so that they can move on to a new season. So, again we arrived back at the question, "are we actually seeing women in our Church's that live those set apart lives? Women that know their calling, love what they do and find absolute joy in it?"
Thankfully, we are part of a small Church that has several of those women and I was blessed to watch my mom walk out her role in love but we've also seen Church's that don't have any women that you can look to and it breaks my heart.
I've been pondering this conversation for the last several days... Do we have those Titus 2 older women that:
teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,
To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.
I think we do.
We can look for those unique women in our Church and seek to learn from them. There are also women such as: Carolyn Mahaney, Sally Clarkson and Above Rubies that we can learn from. We also have the great privilege of being able to read of those "historical" women, who lived lives completely surrendered to Him, in order that we can be challenged and encouraged.
Who encourages you in your role as a wife and mother? What books have you read that have challenged you? I'd love to hear what you think!
I also get the Above Rubies emails and newsletters. They have been great encouragement.
ReplyDeleteWhat I've always struggled with is the gap there seems to be between the generations. I have always yearned for an older woman to mentor me. I've prayed and looked, but I was in a huge church, so the groups I was in were mainly people of my age. That didn't stop me though from always going to women's functions to glean what I could, and sit with tables of more mature women.
I'm not sure how to bridge the gap, but I know how important it is to be spiritually "mothered" by older women. There are many women out there that have so much to give and so many out there that need guidance. My prayer is that all eyes would be opened to this need and that the generations of women would come together in a powerful way. (Oh, I just bet that the enemy is shakin' in his boots when he hears that!) :)
Just awesome...thanks for taking such passion in how you raise your family and serve your husband, Cares. You are one of the few wives and mothers that I look to for a godly example and I am excited to be planted in a church where more and more of these woman and choosing this calling.
ReplyDeleteI want to borrow that book :)
As I think for a second about who encourages me in my role, it occurs to me that my biggest encourager--though she doesn't know it--is my 12 year old daughter. As I see the fruit of my submission (in joy, thankfully to the Lord Jesus) blossoming in her, I am motivated to continue...to do better...to not grow weary.
ReplyDeleteI am a huge fan of Elizabeth George. She has much practical wisdom. I am very glad that I found your blog today. (I saw a comment you left on Sally Clarkson's blog.) I am one of those women you described...yearning for another season instead of living right now and reveling in the role I have as a wife and mother.
ReplyDelete