Titus was a young pastor who served his people on the island of Crete. Young Titus and his congregation found themselves in the midst of a pagan culture. “One of the Cretans, a prophet of their own, said, ‘Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons” (Titus 1:12).
How could Titus and the men and women of his congregation not only remain faithful to God in the midst of evil, but affect the culture? Shine light? Share hope? Titus was in need of a model, something that his people could use in the midst of selfishness, unhealthy lifestyles, and false teachers.
St. Paul warned Titus away from the worldly influence, but also was inspired to give him a model for mentoring generations of hope. That model is found in Titus 2:1-8. That model — indeed, the wholeness of the Gospel — brings salvation and leads to self-controlled living.
Titus 2, however, is one of the least popular chapters of Scripture. It is not particularly favored by Christian women. There are at least three reasons. Most obvious is the fact that Titus 2 speaks to men and women separately… because we were created equal, but not the same. Painfully obvious is the part about women “submitting” to their husbands. (Ouch.) But, a third reason that Titus 2 may be dismissed or ignored is that older women are instructed by God to mentor younger women. Oh my! How is an older woman — who has not made right choices; who has had an abortion or lived with a man not her husband; who has been abused, or become addicted, or suffers depression — going to mentor a younger woman?
This weekend, at a Titus 2 Retreat, we’ll be talking about why an older woman (in age, experience, or spiritual maturity) might feel too intimidated to mentor.
I’ve heard older women say, “I can’t mentor!” But, every one of us mentors… at any given moment… whether we realize it or not. We are mentoring some kind of faith, lifestyle, or way of thinking. We are being an example… of something.
There is a reason God calls an older woman to mentor the younger.
Let’s push aside all of her past circumstances, sins, fears, and failures. If she is a new person in Christ, she is forgiven and set free to live in a way that glorifies God. In 1 Timothy 5:9-14, we read that the Church was to distinguish older widows from younger widows. The older woman is distinguished by her “faithfulness” and “reputation for good works.” She is distinguished if she has “been the wife of one husband, brought up her children, shown hospitality, washed the feet (served) the saints, cared for the afflicted, and devoted herself to every good work.”
The younger widow, however, is different. She is more easily drawn away from Christ by her romantic passions (v. 11). She may be more easily tempted away from the “faith” (Greek: “oath” or “solemn promise”) if she had promised not to remarry, or to abide by the Christian faith and teaching. The young widow (v. 13) without a father, husband, children, or a job might be prone to social problems such as being idle, falling to gossip and the behavior of a busybody, or losing control of her tongue. The Church was to encourage young widows to “marry, bear children, manage their households, and give the adversary (Satan) no occasion for slander” (v. 14).
In what way would the young widow, perhaps more easily influenced by the world, be helped? By the mentoring of an older, experienced, spiritually mature woman. A woman who had also been wrongly influenced, but was brought out of darkness into light. Who was rescued from the mess of life and covered by Jesus’ robe of righteousness. The older woman is not distinguished because she is sinless, but because she has learned to trust God. Not be deceived by silly myths. Have faith in God’s created order. And keep her eyes on the Cross of Jesus Christ.
An older woman does not need to fear being a mentor. Her very experience — from floundering and failing to recognition of her identity as a treasure of Christ — makes her an instrument in God’s hand. Using God’s Word, she becomes an example of humility. Service. Patience. Self-control. Hope.
Ezerwoman's Blog 
Choices Affect Our Attitude Toward God
Posted in Biblical manhood & womanhood, Commentaries of others, Faith & Practice, Identity, Life issues, Relationships, tagged behavior, child of God, choices, hope, Jesus Christ, love of God, value, wisdom on February 9, 2011| 2 Comments »
In What a Young Woman Ought to Know, Mrs. Mary Wood-Allen, M.D., writes that we are not only body and mind, but spirit (or soul). Whether we’ve thought about this or not, the fact remains. “No failure to recognize God as your Father changes His relationship to you. No conduct of yours can make you any less His child.”
“Well,” you may say, “if that is so, what does it matter, then, what I do? If disobedience or sin cannot make me less God’s child, why should I be good and obedient?” Because… “your conduct changes your attitude toward Him.”
“The most worthy and dignified thing we can do,” wrote Dr. Wood-Allen, “is to recognize ourselves as God’s children and be obedient. It is a wonderful glory to be a child of God . . . even the most ignorant or degraded have . . . divine possibilities.”
My grandmother’s choices and behavior evidenced that she was in a merciful relationship with her Heavenly Father. And, no matter what anyone else thought of her, she knew she had “divine possibilities” because she was a child of God.
This woman physician from the late 1800s continues, “Being children of God puts on us certain obligations towards Him, but it also puts on God certain obligations towards us. ‘What!’ you say: ‘God the Infinite under obligations to man, the finite? The Creator under obligations to the created?’ Oh, yes.”
Human parents are under obligation to care for, protect, educate and give opportunities to their children. In a similar way, God is obligated to do the same for His children. The difference is, He fulfills these obligations perfectly. All our earthly blessings are from Him. Every good thing we have is a gift of love from our Creator and Heavenly Father.
Our life matters to God. And, why wouldn’t it? He created it! He sent His Son, Jesus, to die for it! And, as Dr. Mary Wood-Allen observes, “God takes such minute care of us that if for one second of time He would forget us, we should be annihilated.” What does that say to you? I know what it says to me. And it pulls me down on my knees in humble, speechless gratitude.
But, if God is truly taking care of us, why does He allow failures, hardships and worries? Sometimes, the things we call hard and cruel are actually little tumbles on our way to learning to walk. A trial or difficulty in the school of life may be God’s way of opening our eyes to see that we need Him and can trust Him.
Our choices affect our attitude toward God. The most dignified thing we can do is to recognize ourselves as God’s children and try to do those things that bring glory to Him.
It is a wondrous thing to be called a child of God. It means we are heirs of God’s wisdom, strength, and glory. It means that when we fail to trust and obey Him, we are still God’s child because of what Jesus did for us (Galatians 4:4-7). Only a personal question remains:
As a child of God, how shall I choose to live?
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