"In the same way, older women are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not slaves to excessive drinking. They are to teach what is good, 4 so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands and to love their children, 5 to be self-controlled, pure, workers at home, kind, and in submission to their husbands, so that God’s word will not be slandered."
~Titus 2:3-5
We have been journeying all month through a study of what Scripture teaches are characteristics of a godly woman. We continue today by looking at three more characteristics:
- Patient
I am not the most patient person, let me tell you! But as I grow in the Lord and walk by the Spirit, love is grown in me, which then leads to more patience, for "love is patient" (1 Corinthians 13:4). To posses the fruit of the Spirit known as patience means to be "constant", "steadfast", and longsuffering, and to practice "fortitude", "perseverance", and "endurance". This clearly requires much strength, again going back to who we have been called to be in Christ. The strength required to live a patient life comes from Christ's work in us.
- Kind and Good
Titus 2 tells women to be good, chaste, and sober-minded. Proverbs 31 says that women are to speak truth and wisdom in kindness. Jesus Himself was the epitome of kind and good. Interestingly, the word translated as "kindness" in certain translations of Galatians 5:22 is also translated as "gentleness" in others. This is noteworthy because, throughout the Word, we are told to combine grace and truth, mercy and truth, love and truth. We are to always speak truth, but always only in love and gentleness.
•Faithful
Full of faith - the literal meaning of "faithful". The Greek word translated as "faithfulness" in Galatians 5:22 is the same word translated as shield of "faith" in Ephesians 6:16, referring to another part of our God-given armor that we are to use in spiritual battle. This Greek word is used in the New Testament and translated as "faith" over 200 times, the vast majority of which refer to an active rather than a passive faith, an action taken by the person possessing the faith. James 2 continues on this theme by teaching that faith without works is dead. A woman who is full of faith is one who lives out her faith in both the seemingly small and seemingly big moments of life. She is active in her faith, putting it to action as did those included in the great hall of faith in Hebrews 11.
Reflection Questions:
1) What stood out to you the most from what you read today?
2) In what area of your life is the Lord wanting to work?
3) Will you surrender to Him?
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