Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. Titus 2:3-6
Who is an older woman?
For years I struggled with this because I always had such a passion for teaching and breathing encouragement into young women’s lives. Yet, I wasn’t “old.” I think that my idea of what is “old” was mis-understood. May I suggest that anyone older than anyone else can be a “mentor ” of some sort. If you are in a season ahead of another woman, you can count yourself as a mentor. Here is a warning though: teachers are held by God to a higher standard. It says in this scripture above to teach what is good, to be reverent in behavior, to be self-controlled, etc. And those who teach, or influence others will be held to a higher standard by God.
My first intentional mentoring relationship began when I was 14-15 years old. It started out with me, seeing the need to learn from other older women in my life. I respected many older women in our church, but had developed a closer relationship with a few in particular from going on short term missions trips with them. We had bonded spiritually as we served together, I got to see their heart for the Lord, and vice versa, they became my surrogate sisters {or mothers} in the Lord. And they saw me, even at the young age of 14, as someone worth investing in. They treated me as a sister, in fact one of them even called me sister Angie, all those years ago. They valued my questions, my dreams, and inspired me to live out Jesus all those years ago.
Titus 2 Women have a clearly defined lesson plan laid out in the scripture above. Titus 2 Mentors need to be carefully chosen as we talked about in the last post here.
We are All Called to be Aspiring Titus 2 Women of God
This is a call for all women. It doesn’t matter your age or how long you have been a Christian. If you are a female, than this is a call for your life. Period. But remember that those who teach will be held to accountable for what they teach by God.
As I shared before, I often struggle with this concept because I have a blessed heritage of not getting white or gray hair! Many of my dear friends, my age talk about this as a burden, but sometimes I just wish I would go gray. But regardless, I know without a doubt that I am called to be an Aspiring Titus 2 Woman. And so are you.
As a Titus 2 Woman, we are to be doing what we are teaching. So what do you teach? What God has taught you from your life journey! It’s really that simple. But it takes looking deeper into all of life’s experiences. And finding God’s wisdom learned… and teaching that with regard to loving your husband, loving and training your children, discipling others, being busy in the home, and being submissive to one’s husband. The Word of God has our lesson plan. Teaching the gospel with regard to EVERY aspect of life.
And if by chance you don’t know how to mentor someone on a specific topic because you didn’t experience it yourself? That’s ok. We all need many mentors throughout our life. It doesn’t mean you are a failure. And it doesn’t give you permission to insert your opinion. Mentoring doesn’t give permission for us women to teach our opinions. Opinions are usually a way for women {or men} to justify their lifestyle… and that is not Titus 2 Mentoring.
Learn What You Don’t Know.
Obviously, you can not teach something, you aren’t doing or have not done. So for us women, who desire and strive toward being a “True Titus 2” woman, who devotes her time when she is older, to training up young mothers and wives, be they our own or others dear younger sisters, we need to keep in mind that we need to be doing what we teach. And that means that we need to be constantly engaging in learning what we don’t know!
This is why it is so important that we not only be intentionally teaching those int he season of life behind us {even if it is simply the season of life spiritually}, but we also need to be purposeful in learning from those in the season of life ahead of us. We need to have mentors as well as be mentoring. And we also need those we are going to run with, our friends in the same season. All three kinds of relationships are essential to spiritual growth and fulfilling our jurisdictions in our marriages, families, homes and ministries in a God glorifying way.
I am excited to speak into young mother’s lives and to be a full time grandma when I am older. But even now, I am more mature than some and have the responsibility to be speaking life, God’s word into their lives. It is one way He has called us women to contribute to the Body of Christ.
Lord, I pray that you would impress upon my sisters the need for a mentor and those they can mentor in their life. We recognize this was your design for us as women. And we want to be obedient to you, that your legacy would be left for the next generation. May you be glorified in our relationships. Amen.
