'Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.' Titus 2:3-5
I've been working through Carolyn Mahaney's 'Feminine Appeal' and the series 'God's beautiful design for women' on Revive our Hearts, because I've been feeling really convicted lately that I haven't got my priorities right. Having just had a new baby, it's a good time to re-evaluate where I am in my life, and whether I am doing the things God has called me to do, or getting distracted with other things that don't really matter.
You can't ignore from these verses in Titus that, as women, our priorities have to be focused around loving God and loving our families. Home has to be a priority, whether we work outside of it or not. I've been struck by some of this teaching that the home was created by God, and in society today the home is falling apart. It's because we've got our priorities wrong and we've believed the lie that we need a successful career and a good salary to be fulfilled. Our culture tells us that being in the home is not as valuable as making a financial contribution to the family outside of it, so too often we are sacrificing our family life in favour of earning more money. I'm not saying all women should be stay-at-home mums with no outside jobs because I really enjoy my job! But I do think it's easy for my job to take the first and best of me, and my home and family to get whatever is left over of my time and energy.
It's not about making our homes an idol, a beautiful magazine-type place #CathKidston etc. We want to make our homes somewhere we belong, somewhere orderly, a place we want to return to, a space where we talk and grow together as a family, a place which draws in those that we love and outsiders to know and love God better. This can only happen through the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit. The gospel has transformed our lives, and as we seek to obey God by doing the things we are told to do in Titus 2 (love our husband and children, be self-controlled, pure and kind, working at home and being submissive to our husband), this shows the world how amazing the gospel is.
The heart attitude with which we serve -doing chores, cooking meals, cleaning and so on- is absolutely crucial, because we are called to be kind. This passage in Titus calls us to be selfless women, Christ-centred and other-person-centred, like Dorcas in Acts 9. Kindness of heart will not make menial tasks glamorous, but it will lift the load and make them an act of real love and worship.
The emphasis in Titus on self control shows the importance of having a sound mind too. We can't do any of these things without disciplining our minds to put the brakes on to unsound thinking and behaviour. Nancy Leigh de Moss's portraits of a sophron woman (sound) and non-sophron woman are really convicting. For myself, I need to beware of the following things:
- being easily discontented, having the mindset 'I deserve better'
- being easily provoked
- being highly opinionated and always seeking to have the last word
- being overly concerned about what other people think.
We need sound doctrine in our minds and lived out in our daily behaviour. After all, the way you live reveals what you actually believe.
Our lives are to reflect the beauty, the balance, the stability that the gospel brings to a mind, a life and a home. The goal for us as women is to know what really matters, to have right priorities, and to be content with what we have. We are to live lives of purpose and intentionality, service, and giving and blessing others. This is spiritual maturity.
Showing posts with label doctrine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label doctrine. Show all posts
Monday, August 25, 2014
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Ephesians: God's big purpose for Christians
This week I've been reading Ephesians, and it's been amazing to see God's cosmic plan for the universe unfold: 'to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ' (1.10).
God is saving people from every tribe, tongue and nation so that there will be a new community of people in heaven, who worship Him (Revelation 5:9). We aren't saved merely on an individual basis, but to be part of the corporate body of the Church. Paul calls the universal Church the Body of Christ, and in Ephesians 4 talks in detail about what it means to be a Christian.
Being a Christian means being part of the Church
God saved us for a reason: so that in eternity, we could be part of His holy city. Becoming a Christian means that we gain citizenship to heaven (Eph 2:19). The local church on earth is a reflection of the huge universal church in heaven that awaits us when we die, or when Jesus returns. Therefore every Christian should make every effort to be a committed member of a local church. Otherwise it's like you have rejected your heavenly destiny.
Being part of a local church helps you to be who God wants you to be
Paul gives many instructions about how we should live to please God -'Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.' (Eph 4:2-3) It's clear that the local church is crucial in us being able to practise these virtues. Sure, we can aim to be humble and patient in our workplace with non-believers, and we can even cultivate this in our friendships with Christians, but it is only in the context of the local church that we can genuinely be tested in 'bearing with one another in love' and keeping the 'unity of the Spirit'. Churches are full of all kinds of people and can be very trying! But it's God's will that we belong to a church and work through the difficulties which this involves, rather than try and live the Christian life alone.
Churches all over the world are united in sound doctrine
There is 'one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all' (Eph 4:5). There may be many "churches" out there, but the true churches are those which stand upon Christ and what God has revealed to us through Scripture. It's no use getting involved with a church that tolerates false teaching. It's not a true church.
God has made us to serve the church, and be served by it
God gives some to be 'evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers' (Eph 4:11) -perhaps you are one of them! In the church, those God has given to preach do so for the benefit of those who hear (and that means by default there must be people for them to preach to). Ministers are there to serve their congregations, and to be served by them too. What is the goal?
'to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature' (Eph 4:12-13).
God doesn't just want people to pray a prayer accepting His salvation. God wants His people to grow in faith, to become mature. This can only happen when we meet together as a community and disciple one another; when we share our lives together, pray for each other, read God's word together and encourage each other. This is hard- it involves time, commitment, and even saying things which are difficult. We have to speak the truth 'in love' (Eph 4:15), which means telling a fellow Christian when they are going astray. But ultimately, when we help others in the church to grow and flourish, we are helping ourselves. Our identity in Christ is corporate- we are one Body. If one part suffers, all of us suffer (1 Cor 12:26). Our goal is heaven, where there will be no more pain and no more suffering (Rev 21:4). It is worth all the trials we may face now!
God is saving people from every tribe, tongue and nation so that there will be a new community of people in heaven, who worship Him (Revelation 5:9). We aren't saved merely on an individual basis, but to be part of the corporate body of the Church. Paul calls the universal Church the Body of Christ, and in Ephesians 4 talks in detail about what it means to be a Christian.
Being a Christian means being part of the Church
God saved us for a reason: so that in eternity, we could be part of His holy city. Becoming a Christian means that we gain citizenship to heaven (Eph 2:19). The local church on earth is a reflection of the huge universal church in heaven that awaits us when we die, or when Jesus returns. Therefore every Christian should make every effort to be a committed member of a local church. Otherwise it's like you have rejected your heavenly destiny.
Being part of a local church helps you to be who God wants you to be
Paul gives many instructions about how we should live to please God -'Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.' (Eph 4:2-3) It's clear that the local church is crucial in us being able to practise these virtues. Sure, we can aim to be humble and patient in our workplace with non-believers, and we can even cultivate this in our friendships with Christians, but it is only in the context of the local church that we can genuinely be tested in 'bearing with one another in love' and keeping the 'unity of the Spirit'. Churches are full of all kinds of people and can be very trying! But it's God's will that we belong to a church and work through the difficulties which this involves, rather than try and live the Christian life alone.
Churches all over the world are united in sound doctrine
There is 'one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all' (Eph 4:5). There may be many "churches" out there, but the true churches are those which stand upon Christ and what God has revealed to us through Scripture. It's no use getting involved with a church that tolerates false teaching. It's not a true church.
God has made us to serve the church, and be served by it
God gives some to be 'evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers' (Eph 4:11) -perhaps you are one of them! In the church, those God has given to preach do so for the benefit of those who hear (and that means by default there must be people for them to preach to). Ministers are there to serve their congregations, and to be served by them too. What is the goal?
'to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature' (Eph 4:12-13).
God doesn't just want people to pray a prayer accepting His salvation. God wants His people to grow in faith, to become mature. This can only happen when we meet together as a community and disciple one another; when we share our lives together, pray for each other, read God's word together and encourage each other. This is hard- it involves time, commitment, and even saying things which are difficult. We have to speak the truth 'in love' (Eph 4:15), which means telling a fellow Christian when they are going astray. But ultimately, when we help others in the church to grow and flourish, we are helping ourselves. Our identity in Christ is corporate- we are one Body. If one part suffers, all of us suffer (1 Cor 12:26). Our goal is heaven, where there will be no more pain and no more suffering (Rev 21:4). It is worth all the trials we may face now!
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